The San Francisco 49ers have been on the cusp of winning another Lombardi trophy multiple times over the last decade, but they haven't been able to finish the job. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will be operating in the 2026 offseason with renewed urgency after seeing how far a beaten and battered roster made it this past season.
The 49ers have to make the right moves in the 2026 offseason to supplement a roster that did a great job of reloading with some key veteran departures last offseason, but will once again have some big names on the move in 2026.
What are the top 3 must-have free agent signings for the 49ers this offseason? We're taking a look at some fits for this team, including an important reunion on the offensive side of the ball.
Top 3 players the 49ers must sign in 2026 NFL Free Agency
1. Deebo Samuel, WR
Yes, a reunion with veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel should be near the top of the 49ers' priority list this offseason. The crew that Brock Purdy grew up with on this team -- Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, etc -- is all but gone at this point. We don't know when George Kittle is going to play this season, if he plays at all after suffering an Achilles injury vs. the Eagles in January.
Even if Kittle is back this year, Aiyuk is not going to be. The 49ers are set to potentially lose Jauan Jennings in free agency as well, and Purdy needs some familiarity out there. After trading him to the Commanders last offseason, the 49ers can welcome Deebo Samuel back with open arms in 2026.
We all know Samuel is not the 1700-yard player he was back in 2021, but he proved this past season that he is still very effective in smaller doses.
2. Joey Bosa, EDGE
The 49ers were at the bottom of the NFL last season in sacks as a defense, and that's going to have to change in 2026, to state the obvious.
The one missing ingredient off the edge last year was star pass rusher Nick Bosa, who is expected back at full strength in 2026. And for the first time, perhaps we'll see the Bosa brothers actually become teammates, like it's been rumored they could be for a couple of offseasons.
Joey Bosa quietly played 15 games for Buffalo last year, and 14 games the year before that. He had 5 sacks and 16 QB hits for Buffalo last season, the most QB hits he's had since 2021. At his age, you aren't expecting 15 sacks, but you might get a really good year or two out of him playing opposite his brother.
3. David Njoku, TE
Given the health of George Kittle, the 49ers would be wise to bring in some experienced depth. And at this stage of their careers, the duo of Kittle and David Njoku could work really well together.
We know the 49ers have Jake Tonges as a priority restricted free agent to bring back, but for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, you have to set your sights a little higher than the 'next man up'. And signing Njoku would be exactly that.