The 49ers’ training camp injury pileup is forcing them to keep adding veteran help, and their latest move brings in a familiar kind of depth piece: KhaDarel Hodge.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, San Francisco is signing the former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver and Pro Bowl special-teams standout to help shore up a receiver group that has been hit hard early in camp. The move comes shortly after the team reportedly added former Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo.
"Source: Veteran WR KhaDarel Hodge to the 49ers," Fowler reports.
Hodge arrives as an eight-year NFL veteran, and the timing makes plenty of sense given how thin the 49ers’ receiver room has become. Christian Kirk is dealing with an injury, though it is not expected to be serious.
Ricky Pearsall is already out for the season after last year’s knee injury failed to heal properly. De’Zhuan Stribling, the team’s second-round rookie receiver taken No. 33 overall, is also hurt right now.
That leaves San Francisco leaning on a mix that includes Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, Malik Turner, Junior Bergen, and several other depth options. With that kind of uncertainty, Hodge gives the 49ers another experienced body who can help right away.
His production as a receiver last season with the Falcons was limited. At 30 years old, he caught three of 10 targets for 31 yards and no touchdowns. Over eight NFL seasons, he has 67 receptions on 122 targets for 1,026 yards and two touchdowns.
Where Hodge really stands out is on special teams. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2024 for his work there, and the value is clear: he’s not coming in as a headline grabber, but as a veteran who can make life easier on coverage units and potentially carve out a roster spot.
If he sticks, Hodge profiles as a fifth- or sixth-wide receiver whose biggest job will be contributing on special teams. It may not be the flashiest addition San Francisco makes this summer, but it could end up being one of the more useful ones.
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