Where Deebo trade would leave 49ers at wide receiver position

The 49ers made two significant moves a year ago to prepare for life without Deebo Samuel.

And, now, it appears that time has come for the organization to grant Samuel his wish and move in a different direction.

The 49ers were looking ahead one season when they selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Then, a protracted, drama-filled period came to an end just before the start of the 2024 regular season when the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk agreed to a five-year deal worth approximately $133 million through the 2028 season.

San Francisco made it clear that Aiyuk had a future with the team, while Samuel’s days as a highly paid player on the roster were numbered.

But things did not exactly go as planned.

The 49ers have some options at wide receiver returning in 2025, but they must also look to fortify the position with second-tier free agents and a possible mid-round draft pick.

The player the 49ers rewarded with a big contract less than a year ago enters next season as one of the team’s biggest question marks.

Aiyuk’s season lasted just seven games as he sustained tears to his ACL, MCL and other damage to his right knee. His season ended with just 25 receptions for 374 yards and no touchdowns.

It is uncertain when Aiyuk will be cleared to play. And it’s unknown how effective he will be after coming back from such a serious injury. He turns 27 next month.

And the 49ers do not know exactly what they have with Pearsall, either.

Pearsall missed the first six games of the season after he was placed on the non-football injury list after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest just prior to the start of the regular season. In 11 games, he caught 31 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns.

Jauan Jennings, who is under contract through the 2025 season, is the 49ers’ top-returning wide receiver.

Jennings made a career-high 10 starts and caught 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns. He likely would have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark but got ejected from the 49ers’ Week 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals after being involved in post-whistle skirmishes on back-to-back plays.

With some degree of uncertainty surrounding Aiyuk and Pearsall heading into the season, Jennings is the wide receiver on the roster who might enter the season as Brock Purdy’s top option.

Assuming Samuel is not back on the team, the 49ers’ next-best option could be second-year player Jacob Cowing, whose contributions as a rookie came as the team’s primary return man.

Cowing caught just four passes for 80 yards on the season while playing just 106 snaps on offense. His 4.38-second speed in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine could provide the 49ers with a vertical threat.

San Francisco has a couple of veteran receivers under contract, both of whom would be considered long shots to make the 53-man roster.

Trent Taylor, a slot receiver and punt returner, spent last season on the practice squad. He appeared in two games and caught one pass for 11 yards.

The 49ers also added Russell Gage late in the season. He had a strong four-season stretch with Atlanta and Tampa Bay from 2019 to 2022, but he has not appeared in the regular season since sustaining a torn patellar tendon in his right knee in a 2023 preseason game.

Gage, 29, has 244 receptions for 2,491 yards and 14 touchdowns in 74 games over five seasons.

Veteran receiver Chris Conley caught six passes for 76 yards in 15 games last season for the 49ers. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent.