One week out from the NFL’s legal tampering period, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders tweeted that he and the 49ers haven’t had any contract talks during the offseason.
In response to a report that he’d been given a contract offer, Sanders wrote on Twitter, “no offer has been sent and no talks have been made.”
This isn’t a huge surprise given the team’s offseason to-do list. They have extensions due for tight end George Kittle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead is also due to hit unrestricted free agency. So is free safety Jimmie Ward.
Sanders, on the other hand, is entering his Age 32 season and coming off a strong year that will probably earn him a decent payday on the open market.
San Francisco has used two second-round picks and a third-round pick in the last two drafts on wide receivers. A move to lean on the younger players would make sense after acquiring Sanders for third and fourth-round picks in a midseason trade with the Broncos last season.
If a market never develops for Sanders, the 49ers could certainly re-sign him on an inexpensive one-year deal. Multiple players and head coach Kyle Shanahan have given glowing reviews of Sanders and advocated for his return to Santa Clara.
It doesn’t appear either side is eager to work a deal out before he explores the open market though.