New 49ers receiver Emmanuel Sanders says he 'needed a change of scenery'

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- After a whirlwind 24 hours, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders spent Wednesday getting used to his new home with the San Francisco 49ers -- one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL.

The 49ers acquired Sanders and a 2020 fifth-round pick from the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, sending a 2020 third- and fourth-round pick back in exchange.

About three hours after the deal was complete, Sanders was on a plane to the Bay Area, ready to take a crash course in coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.

Apparently, the new surroundings -- namely, going from a two-win team to a six-win team -- were much needed.

"It feels good [to be here]," Sanders said Wednesday. "Obviously, I've got a lot of love for the Broncos. I spent six years there, won a Super Bowl there and I love that organization. But to be a 49er, it's like a new energy and new environment. It reminds me of when I left the Steelers and went to the Broncos.

"I needed a change of scenery, and it feels good to have a change of scenery. And what a great locker room the 49ers have here. I'm just trying to come in and bring even more positive energy and bring another spark to this offense."

After weeks of trade rumors, Sanders said he met with Broncos president/general manager John Elway after a Week 6 win against the Tennessee Titans and they mutually agreed it was time for the receiver to move on.

"Me and John had a conversation in terms of the direction that I wanted to go and me expressing that," Sanders said. "He listened. And hearing that, hearing the trade rumors, I think we both decided that it was best for me to go. You know, we got two more years left -- or three more years left -- of playing football, and I'm trying to win a championship, and obviously, we've got a young locker room over there. So we both made the decision that if a trade comes about, that he would keep me posted and possibly trade me."

Sanders, who is expected to play against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, went right to work upon arrival in Santa Clara around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Receivers coach Wes Welker, who was a former teammate of Sanders' in Denver, greeted him at the hotel.

Welker began feeding him information for a few hours before Sanders went to sleep. Sanders woke up at 5 a.m. to take a physical and attend a wideout meeting at 7:20 a.m. before a walkthrough, more meetings and an afternoon practice.

Sanders said Shanahan's offensive scheme is about 90% the same as what he had in Denver under offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who spent the past two years as the Niners' quarterbacks coach.

Aside from diving into the playbook, Sanders has had just enough time to meet his new teammates and coaches. Shanahan, in particular, left quite an impression with his choice of footwear.

"Getting here and just seeing how he is, seeing he's very laid back. Funny guy, light on his toes," Sanders said. "I noticed in the team meeting. I was like, 'I can't wait to get home and tell my wife that the head coach is wearing Yeezys.' I was like, that's cool. That's one cool coach.

"The environment here is just so light, but at the end of the day, we have a concentration and we have a focus on the task at hand. I can tell that his team is a reflection of him, and it's cool to see."

Before the Niners and Broncos played last season, Shanahan heaped praise on Sanders. On Wednesday, Shanahan gave further insight into how long he has coveted his new wide receiver.

"Emmanuel has been a guy that I have personally wanted since probably the last eight years, since he became a free agent in Pittsburgh," Shanahan said. "I was a huge fan of him coming out in the draft and everything he's done since. ... I'm pumped he's here."

Shanahan declined to offer any clues on how he will use Sanders, but he did acknowledge Sanders "can do it all" and is versatile enough to play any of the team's wideout spots.

Scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, Sanders figures to be at least a 10-game rental for the 49ers.

"Once I become a free agent, [winning is] going to factor in a lot," Sanders said. "A lot of people don't understand. Yeah, the money's good. I've made my fair share of that. I think it's about happiness. It's about, 'Is it worth it?' ... I love playing football. I love being happy. I love playing games. I think that's going to be the ultimate deciding factor in where I go."