How would the Seahawks signing Antonio Brown impact the 49ers?

The NFC West is absolutely loaded going into the 2020 NFL season. The San Francisco 49ers have the deepest roster in the division, while the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have playoff aspirations of their own.

The division became even more stacked when the Seahawks acquired All-Pro safety Jamal Adams from the New York Jets. Although Seattle paid a steep price, it was a win-now move by the organization.

Most experts agree that the gap between the Niners and Seahawks closed a bit as a result of the trade, but what happens if Seattle signs another big name prior to Week 1?

Jose Luis Sanchez of Maven SI explored the possibility of the Seahawks landing receiver Antonio Brown, and says it would be a nightmare scenario for the 49ers:

“Seattle’s offense with Wilson alone was already a nuisance to go up against. So long as he is the quarterback for the Seahawks, the 49ers can never overlook them. Even in Week 17 when the 49ers were beating down the Seahawks for three quarters, Seattle still mustered a comeback to draw it out on the final play. In fact, had the Seahawks not try to get all cute by forcing Marshawn Lynch into the rotation which caused a delay of game penalty, then they possibly would have been the 2019 NFC West champions.”

There is no doubt about Brown’s ability on the field. He had 837 receptions for 11,207 yards, and 74 touchdowns over nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. We all know what happened with the drama last year. He was cut before ever playing a game for the Oakland Raiders, and only played a single contest with the New England Patriots before he was released after a sexual assault allegation.

If Brown does make his way to Seattle, it will make the Seahawks’ offense that much tougher to contend with. The unit doesn’t have a ton of star power after quarterback Russell Wilson, but receiver D.J. Metcalf could make a leap in his sophomore season. Adding Brown would give Seattle another potential All-Pro, who would make Wilson’s life a lot easier.

Who knows where Brown is at mentally, but if off-field issues persist as a Seahawk, he would be released fairly quickly. If the 32-year-old goes to the Pacific Northwest, the 49ers would only have to play him once during the regular season, due to the NFL suspending Brown eight games for multiple violations of the league’s personal conduct policy. He is still under investigation for the sexual assault allegations —which he has denied— but if he is found guilty, he won’t see the field at all in 2020.

Do you think the Seahawks would be the NFC West favorites if they sign Brown?