The San Francisco 49ers got tormented by injuries in 2024, and early on in the 2025 campaign, the injury bug has continued to haunt them. In particular, their wide receiver room has been devastated by injuries, and on Monday, the team got even more bad injury news regarding rookie pass catcher Jordan Watkins.
Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, and Equanimeous St. Brown have all dealt with injuries to start training camp, which had thrust Watkins into a bigger role than expected. However, he’s now on the mend alongside a handful of his teammates, as he was dealt a tough blow in the wake of the team’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.
Jordan Watkins Set to Miss Time with a High-Ankle Sprain
The 49ers made a big move early in the offseason when they decided to trade Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. That signaled they were intent on leaning on Aiyuk, Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall as their top wide receivers. The problem is that Aiyuk is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, Jennings is dealing with a calf injury and wants a new contract, and Pearsall missed the start of camp with a hamstring injury.
That resulted in Watkins, a fourth-round rookie, getting more snaps early on in training camp than he was initially expected to receive. In 2024, Watkins caught 49 passes for 906 yards and nine touchdowns with the Ole Miss Rebels, making him one of the top big-play threats in the nation. Sure enough, he caught three passes for 59 yards against the Broncos, with the majority of that damage coming on a 50-yard link-up with Mac Jones.
In what seems to be a recurring trend for the 49ers, though, Watkins has now suffered an injury of his own. On Monday, it was revealed that Watkins is dealing with a high ankle sprain that is expected to hold him out for about a month. As a result, it will be a close call when it comes to Watkins’ potential availability for San Francisco come Week 1.
“49ers rookie WR Jordan Watkins has a high ankle sprain. He’s expected to miss about a month,” Nick Wagoner of ESPN shared in a post on X.
49ers Wide Receiver Situation Becoming Quite Dire Due to Injuries
Getty|Jordan Watkins was the 21st wide receiver selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In a perfect world, the 49ers wouldn’t have to worry too much about Watkins missing time. The problem is that several other key components of their wide receiver room are also out and question marks for Week 1, which means that Watkins was creeping towards playing a big role for San Francisco to start the season. Instead, his status is now up in the air, too.
In the meantime, Pearsall will be leading the wide receiver room alongside Demarcus Robinson and Russell Gage Jr., as they are among the only healthy guys left at this position. The 49ers will be hoping that Jennings and Watkins, in particular, can get themselves on the field for Week 1, because if they can’t, quarterback Brock Purdy may have a tough time finding people to throw the football to.
