49ers, Giants dubbed possible trade partners for Browns' 29-year-old Pro Bowler

Mike Moraitis

49ers, Giants dubbed possible trade partners for Browns' 29-year-old Pro Bowler image

The San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants enter Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season with some major concerns when it comes to their pass-catchers.

For the Giants, it's more than just a concern after wide receiver Malik Nabers was confirmed to have a torn ACL, which is a huge problem because now Jaxson Dart doesn't have his No. 1 weapon as he tries to navigate his rookie campaign.

The 49ers are missing tight end George Kittle for at least one more game, and both wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings have been banged-up recently and there's still no telling when wideout Brandon Aiyuk will be back.

Thanks to their issues in the pass-catcher group, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox suggested both the 49ers and Giants as possible trade partners for Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku.

Knox believes Njoku could fetch a conditional 2026 third-round pick, although that is probably too high of an estimation.

Moving Njoku, who is in a contract year, would likely bring some valuable draft capital in return.

That's noteworthy because If Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders doesn't look like Cleveland's QB answer at the end of this season, the Browns likely will chase a quarterback in the 2026 draft.

Potential Suitors: New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers

There are several reasons why the Browns should trade Njoku, who can make a big impact in the passing game when at his best.

With the Browns going nowhere in 2025, they should be looking to sell pieces off at the trade deadline and Njoku is a prime candidate considering he's in the final year of his contract.

Adding to that, third-round tight end Harold Fannin has shown some promise and the Browns should look to get him more involved, something that can be better accomplished by dealing Njoku.

The 49ers' interest in Njoku will depend upon the status of Kittle, who is eligible to be activated off injured reserve in Week 6. The initial expectation was that Kittle could miss up to five weeks, so he seems likely to return by Week 7. 

If Kittle's absence isn't extended beyond that and he stays healthy through the trade deadline, we wouldn't anticipate the Niners making a move for Njoku.

The Giants should be looking to bolster their pass-catchers to help Dart and they could use an upgrade at tight end, as young tight end Theo Johnson has yet to cement himself as a surefire impact player.

But New York also can't afford to give up valuable draft capital with major changes possibly coming in 2026 if head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen get fired.

For a conditional third, the Giants should say no. But if they can get Njoku for a mid-Day 3 pick, which we think is more realistic, it wouldn't hurt to bring him in.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.