New year, same issue in Santa Clara: the 49ers just can’t keep their receiver room intact.
By the time Week 6 arrives, San Francisco is staring at a thin group that has already absorbed multiple hits. Only two wideouts from the original 53-man roster, Mike Evans and Jordan Watkins, made it through Sunday’s game in Seattle without exiting because of injury. Brandin Cooks is available too, but he came aboard after Week 2, so he wasn’t part of the team’s initial receiving group.
That shortage matters even more now because Kyle Shanahan has already ruled Deebo Samuel out for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. Jacob Cowing, who had already been under pressure, also left Seattle with an ankle issue. The result is a Monday night matchup against the Washington Commanders with Evans, Cowing, Cooks and Watkins as the healthy options, which is hardly ideal for a team built around one of the league’s better passing attacks.
So who could help?
Tyreek Hill is the biggest name on the board, but the fit looks shaky at best. At his best, he’s one of the most dangerous playmakers in football.
But he’s coming off a season-ending knee injury in 2025, and legal issues still hang over him. The Niners would likely want a cleaner situation, and if Hill is fully healthy, he’s not the kind of player you stash on the practice squad.
He’d need a spot on the 53-man roster, and that’s where the 49ers would probably bow out of the race.
A more obscure option is Arian Skinner. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, that tracks.
Skinner drew attention during the Jets’ 2025 preseason and spent the season on their practice squad, where he caught one pass for 10 yards and a two-point conversion in the regular season. He’s a 6-foot-5 receiver with the kind of size that can threaten defenses downfield, and he posted a 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day.
The obstacle is obvious: Shanahan has long been hesitant to lean on young receivers who haven’t fully mastered the details of his offense. Skinner did get a workout in late September, but the team ended up signing Dante Pettis instead.
Then there’s the veteran route, and that’s where things get interesting. Sunday’s win underscored why a player like Evans matters: with a big catch radius, he gives the offense a target who doesn’t have to win purely with separation.
Brock Purdy knows how to use that kind of receiver and isn’t afraid to rip it. Hopkins, who is on the Georgia Tech coaching staff, has said he isn’t retired, and Shanahan does love his veterans.
Even so, this one feels like a long shot.
The 49ers also have to think about what they’re willing to spend. They do not want to trade away draft capital for a receiver, especially when they’d rather keep that ammunition for an edge rusher or an interior defensive lineman.
Still, a move for Jordan Jennings makes enough sense that John Lynch should at least pick up the phone and call Minnesota. Shanahan values veterans, and Jennings would not need much time to get up to speed in a new playbook.
He also showed obvious frustration Sunday, even with the Vikings sitting at 5-0. Through the season, he has just two catches for nine yards, a steep drop from his recent production, and that could make a swap of late-round picks possible.
Odell Beckham Jr. is another name to file away, but only in a very limited sense. If he were still a free agent, Shanahan might consider him for the practice squad.
He’s not, though; he’s on the Vikings’ practice squad, and San Francisco is not about to put him on the 53-man roster. That would have been a different story back in 2019.
Not now.
A trade for Thomas would cost more than the 49ers seem willing to pay. The baseline would be a second-round pick, no matter how you evaluate what has happened in Jacksonville.
His draft classmate Marvin Harrison Jr. was dealt to Houston with a second-rounder as the centerpiece to Arizona, and Thomas has done more than Harrison, so that’s the floor for the Jaguars. If San Francisco is going to part with a second, it would make more sense to spend it on a defensive lineman of Vita Vea or DeForest Buckner caliber.
So don’t expect a blockbuster. Demarcus Robinson, Deebo Samuel and De’Zhaun Stribling are all expected back at some point this season, and that reality matters when the team weighs whether to add someone who would need a 53-man roster spot.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Took The Seahawks Loss Hard For One Reason
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a rough ending to Seattles latest meeting with the 49ers, and it came in a game the Seahawks had little margin for error. The drop came late in the fourth quarter of a matchup San Francisco controlled enough to hand Seattle its second loss of the season, while the 49ers stayed unbeaten and kept building momentum in the division race.
Smith-Njigba did not try to hide from the miss afterward, acknowledging the mistake and saying he plans to be better when the next chance comes. For the Seahawks, the timing makes the recovery window tight, with Denver waiting on Thursday Night Football and another quick test for an offense trying to move on from a painful finish. [Read more 🡒]