49ers can capitalize on NFC West rival's mistake and add a piece they've been seeking for several years

Noah Fant makes sense for the 49ers

San Francisco did sign Luke Farrell this offseason and brought Ross Dwelley back from the Atlanta Falcons, but that shouldn't preclude a move like that, because both are more blockers than receivers. Fant has had six seasons in the NFL,and reached 500 yards in four of them—including last year, his third and final year for the Seahawks after being involved in the Russell Wilson trade back in 2022. A former first-round pick, Fant had also played three years for the Denver Broncos.

In 2024, Fant didn't have an efficient season, though. He was 30th amongst 45 qualifying tight ends in yards per route run (1.29) and 38th in passer rating when targeted (85.4), but the Seahawks didn't have much space for him, since the team's primary target was a slot receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Last year, he finished the season with 48 catches for 500 yards and a touchdown in 14 games for Seattle.

The Seahawks are changing their offensive system, and the new coordinator is connected with the Niners. It's Klint Kubiak, who spent a season in San Francisco back in 2023 as a passing game coordinator. He replaced Ryan Grubb, who stayed only one season in the NFL after a successful stint at Washington, and now is back in college football at Alabama.

On the 49ers, Fant would work again with better options on the outside and a better underneath passer in Brock Purdy. Historically, head coach Kyle Shanahan has been able to generate production from tight ends through the middle, and Fant could be a solid complement to George Kittle's skill set.

The 49ers are third in the NFL in cap space, with $45.378 million available to spend. While it's smart to roll a part of it over to 2026, when the cap situation is not that comfortable, the team has more than enough spending power to make an addition like this—and Purdy should love it.