The 49ers have a contingency plan if their top receiver isn’t available for the start of the season.
The San Francisco 49ers have yet to reach an agreement with star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on a long-term contract extension, despite reports last week sharing that the deal was looking more probable and on its final hurdle.
With the season approaching in just two weeks, Aiyuk’s availability for Week 1 has started to come into question, which could complicate things for the 49ers against a tough defense in the New York Jets.
Where do things stand in the receiver’s contract negotiation ahead of the team’s final preseason game?
“So much has changed. No, I’m just joking. No new updates,” Shanahan said earlier this week on KNBR. I’m sorry to keep being boring with that. I wish I was saying something different but nothing’s changed yet.”
With a lack of an update, the 49ers could very well be without their top receiver come Week 1. Do the 49ers have a plan if that ultimately becomes the case?
“That’s what we got everyone competing for right now,” Shanahan said. “We have Jauan [Jennings], who’s done a lot of good stuff for us here over the years. When guys are healthy, he’s always majored as our slot receiver. But we’ve used him outside, too. He’s always been capable of being outside, and he’s probably the first we would look to because he has been our number three receiver since we’ve been here, and at times, in some big moments, we’ve used him like a number one guy.”
Jennings has been an option on the outside in the past, even when the 49ers have used Aiyuk and fellow wideout Deebo Samuel, as the team has mixed up the receiver looks.
But, while Jennings has been a key chain mover on third downs, there is a significant different in the speed and route running capabilities on the outside between him and Aiyuk, which requires a change in the timing for quarterback Brock Purdy.
In addition, an option could be veteran wideout Chris Conley, who could be the team’s No. 6 receiver this year on the 53-man roster.
“Chris Conley’s had a hell of a camp,” Shanahan said. “He came on strong for us last year, did a hell of a job for last year, and made a number of plays going into the playoffs, in the playoffs, and in the Super Bowl. He’s been on a lot of teams, too, where he’s done it for a while.”
Behind him, there are a number of rookies and younger players who are also fighting for roster spots as well.
“And then we’ve got these rookies who are all pushing, that I know will be there eventually, but they’re a little behind the eight ball with their injuries,” Shanahan acknowledged. “But they’re guys we believe in, guys who are made of the right stuff. And then we’ve got a lot of depth here with just guys we brought in from other teams, who have made other teams before. We have guys that have been on the back part of a roster that are trying to do that again with Danny [Gray], and Ronnie Bell, and things like that.”
Looking at the options, Jennings or Conley seem the most realistic.
But, Jennings has dealt with injuries this offseason, which kept him out of last weekend’s preseason contest. Still, the expectation is that he’s ready for Week 1.
Conley, on the other hand, has good speed on the outside, making him a viable candidate for Aiyuk’s spot, but there have been some ups and downs when working with Brock Purdy that need to be sorted out.
Of the rookies, slot wideout Jacob Cowing began to show out following his hamstring injury last weekend, showing that he could be a contributor sooner than later, be it as a receiver or on special teams.
But, fellow rookie Ricky Pearsall has yet to play in the preseason as he deals with a shoulder injury, which was recently revealed to be a problem even prior to the draft. It seems unlikely that he could assume Aiyuk’s role come Week 1.
At the moment, the 49ers receiver situation does look cloudy, placing a bigger emphasis on Deebo Samuel’s role for Week 1 should Aiyuk not play, which is why it’s imperative the team gets a deal done sooner than later with their star wideout.