What has been one of the strengths of each San Francisco 49ers roster in recent memory might be the team’s weakest group in 2025. The wide receiver room has tons of question marks, unlike anything the team has seen in years.
Brandon Aiyuk projects to be the most productive of the bunch on a game-to-game basis, but is still battling back from a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of the 2024 season. Although the 27-year-old has begun participating in training camp drills in street clothes, his return timetable is still unknown.
Even if Aiyuk makes it back onto the field for a chunk of this season, it’s still unknown if he can get back to his former self. The sixth-year receiver struggled in his first six games of the 2024 campaign, only totaling 351 receiving yards and zero touchdowns on 23 receptions.
Jauan Jennings is currently in an eerily similar situation to Aiyuk’s during the 2024 offseason, in search of a contract extension or a trade. After leading all 49ers receivers last season with a career-high 975 yards on 77 receptions and six touchdowns, Jennings wants some security with a long-term deal.
General manager John Lynch has assured fans that Jennings will be in San Francisco for the foreseeable future, and if the two sides agree on a deal, expect Jennings to be the team’s wide receiver one until Aiyuk comes back.
After being drafted in the first round in 2024, Ricky Pearsall had to deal with a gunshot wound that derailed his season. This year, Pearsall suffered a hamstring injury during OTAs, which shouldn’t affect him moving forward.
The 49ers will need the second-year receiver to take a big step up in 2025, filling into a larger role with Deebo Samuel’s departure leaving big shoes to fill. Pearsall seemed to get his footing at the end of his rookie season, but still has a lot to prove.
The rest of the wide receiver room has a mix of a few solid veterans and some young, unproven talent. Demarcus Robinson came over in free agency this offseason, but is currently waiting to see if he’ll be suspended after a DUI charge.
The 30-year-old is coming off a 2024 featuring career highs in both yards (505) and touchdowns (6). Equanimeous St. Brown and Russell Gage round out the veteran pass catchers, hoping to play a role down the stretch.
Jacob Cowing is a wildcard with question marks of his own, heading into his second season after being a fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. A pulled hamstring on Wednesday will sideline Cowing for a chunk of time leading up to the beginning of the regular season.
Another recent fourth-round selection, Jordan Watkins, joined San Francisco in 2025, coming from Ole Miss. The rookie will have an opportunity to see playing time in a banged-up group, and hopes to build off his 906 yards and nine touchdowns in his final year of college.
The 49ers have one of the more questionable wide receiver rooms that the NFL has seen in recent memory. There is a real possibility that the group is a weak spot for the team, but with so much still unknown, if things go right, they could shock the rest of the league.