The Denver Broncos have traded wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the San Francisco 49ers, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Denver sent Sanders and a fifth-round draft pick in the 2020 draft to San Francisco in exchange for a third-round pick and a fourth-round selection.
Trading Sanders made sense for the Broncos because he is scheduled to become a free agent in 2020. Denver is unlikely to make the playoffs this year after starting 2-5, so getting picks for Sanders now was a wise move.
Sanders, 32, entered the league as a third-round pick out of SMU in the 2010 NFL draft with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After spending the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh, Sanders signed with the Broncos in 2014.
Sanders’ best season in the NFL was his first year with Peyton Manning. Sanders caught 101 passes for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014 and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. Sanders helped Denver win Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season and then earned another Pro Bowl selection in 2016.
Sanders’ numbers have declined since Manning’s retirement, but the receiver has still been productive. He caught 71 passes for 868 yards and four touchdowns last season. Sanders also rushed for a score and threw a touchdown pass in 2018.
Through seven games this season, Sanders has 30 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns. He has 39 TD catches in his career.
