49ers’ Failed Bid for John Metchie Shakes Up Their Roster Plans

On Sunday afternoon, an interesting trade was announced between the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles that saw former second-round wide receiver John Metchie III and a sixth-round pick get dealt to the Eagles in exchange for tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick. However, if things had gone the San Francisco 49ers‘ way, they would have been the ones landing Metchie.

After getting destroyed by injuries in 2024, the Niners have been hit hard by injuries again during training camp. One spot that is looking particularly weak right now is the wide receiver spot, which reportedly led the 49ers to make a run for Metchie. Unfortunately for them, they ended up getting outbid by the Eagles.

49ers Reportedly Miss Out on John Metchie III Trade

The 49ers shed some talent in their wide receiver room when they traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders to begin the offseason. With Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall in place, though, the team felt comfortable with them leading the way. The problem is that injuries have popped up for each of these guys before the start of the season.

Aiyuk is still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL he suffered last season, with the expectation being that he will miss the first few weeks of the new campaign. Jennings is dealing with a calf injury and hasn’t been practicing, and he wants a new contract from San Francisco before the start of the season. Pearsall is healthy now, but he missed the start of camp with a hamstring injury, so the team is exercising caution with him.

With Jennings’ status still up in the air, the 49ers could use some help at wide receiver. Enter Metchie, a former second-round pick who was on the outs with the Texans. Given the outlook of San Fran’s wide receiver room, Metchie could have been an option to start come Week 1, but Philly swooped in and stole him from one of their top NFC competitors.

“Sources: The 49ers were the other team trying to trade for John Metchie III. But the Eagles made a better offer,” Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported.

49ers Must Pivot After Failing to Trade for John Metchie III

Houston selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he ended up missing his rookie campaign after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in July of 2022. Metchie returned and suited up for the past two seasons, but he failed to truly carve out a role with the team. With the team signing Christian Kirk in free agency and selecting Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the 2025 NFL Draft, there was no space for Metchie in the wide receiver room.

There’s no doubt that Metchie would have been worth taking a flier on for the 49ers, but they couldn’t get a deal across the finish line. With roster cuts looming, several other players should be available at this position in the coming weeks, so with their interest in Metchie becoming public knowledge, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them try to add another player or two to shore up their wide receiver room before the start of the season.

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