The San Francisco 49ers are adding another weapon for Brock Purdy as they gear up to race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. At the trade deadline, the 49ers acquired veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Indianapolis Colts for a sixth-round pick, per ESPN.
This is the second trade John Lynch and Colts interim general manager Ed Dodds have pulled off in the past few weeks, as the 49ers sent a fourth-round pick to Indianapolis for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner at the end of October.
Allen, who turned 34 in April, signed a one-year deal with the Colts in August and has caught 40 passes for 351 yards and one touchdown in eight games played. During Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he caught four passes for 26 yards. Allen's 40 receptions led the Colts prior to the trade and would lead all 49ers on the season.
The 49ers were in the maket for wide receiver help, as Mike Evans (Achilles/ribs) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) have been sidelined in recent weeks. Christian Kirk was also recently placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, where he joins fellow injured wideouts Ricky Pearsall and De'Zhaun Stribling.
Jordan Watkins, Brandin Cooks, Demarcus Robinson, KhaDarel Hodge and Jacob Cowing were Purdy's wide receivers during the 49ers' 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Watkins led the team with 86 yards on four receptions. The injuries haven't held San Francisco's offense back yet, as through Week 9, the 49ers rank sixth in yards per game (376.8) and third in points per game (29.4). This is a well-rounded team that registered two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and a defensive touchdown on Sunday for the first time since 2022.
Allen is a six-time Pro Bowler that spent 12 of his 14 NFL seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, and is the franchise's second-leading receiver behind Hall of Famer Antonio Gates. He has recorded six 1,000-yard seasons and five 100-catch seasons, which is tied for third all-time.
Let's attempt to grade this trade:
49ers: B
According to the Associated Press, the 49ers have had a record seven players 30 years or older catch touchdowns this season. Only the 1998 Denver Broncos, 2007 New England Patriots and 2002 Raiders have had more total touchdowns by different players 30 or older. Imagine going back in time and telling a 49ers fan that they would have Mike Evans and Keenan Allen at wide receiver. It's true that both are older players now, but Kyle Shanahan is going to be able to get the most out of them in his system.
Allen still has some tread left on the tires, and he was the Colts' most reliable receiver despite the fact that he was not brought in to play that role. Alec Pierce has been sidelined by an ankle injury, while Josh Downs hasn't reached 25 yards receiving ever since his trade request went public. Just last year, Allen caught 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns with the Chargers.
The 49ers winning this trade of course hinges on health. It remains to be seen if Evans will be able to return to 100% this season with his Achilles strain, and if Allen can remain available as well. Ultimately, the 49ers didn't have to pay a high price for a veteran pass-catcher that could upgrade the offense.
It's worth mentioning that Allen is facing a minimum three-game suspension following his OWI arrest in Indianapolis earlier this year, but we don't know when that suspension will be coming down.
Colts: C+
The Colts are obvious sellers at the trade deadline. They are losers of five straight, fired general manager Chris Ballard last month and have already shipped off Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner and now Keenan Allen.
Allen wasn't helping the Colts win games by himself, and he was a piece Indy felt fine parting ways with prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline. The more interesting storylines to follow with the Colts come after: what will Indianapolis end up doing with star running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Josh Downs?
