The San Francisco 49ers are entering this offseason with plenty of holes up and down their roster, but wide receiver may be the most pressing need for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan to address in the coming weeks and months.

San Francisco is expected to move on from Brandon Aiyuk, while Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore and Trent Taylor are expected to hit the market on Wednesday and can agree to a deal with any team starting Monday morning.

While the 49ers are surely interested in many of the top wide receivers on the market, Josina Anderson reported on Sunday that one source believes that San Francisco may be willing to spend as much as $30 million annually for Alec Pierce’s services.

Pierce, 25, played at Cincinnati from 2018-21, earning All-AAC honors once before the Indianapolis Colts took him int he second round of the 2022 NFL draft. Over the last four years, he’s appeared in 64 games and recorded 157 receptions for 2,934 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also led the league in yards per reception twice (2024 and 2025).

While Pierce’s numbers don’t jump off the page, he’s never played with a quarterback like Brock Purdy. In fact, he’s never really even played with an average quarterback, as late-career Matt Ryan is probably the best to have thrown him the ball.

That price might be too much for San Francisco to get involved, and with all signs pointing toward Romeo Doubs ending up in a 49ers jersey, they could save so money and still take a top wide receiver in the 2026 NFL draft.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Rumor: 49ers may be willing to pay steep price for top free agent WR

Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire

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