The San Francisco 49ers are one of those weird teams in the NFL. Meaning, if things go right, they are a Super Bowl contender. If things go south, they can be really bad. As for head coach Kyle Shanahan, he gave quarterback Brock Purdy a new piece of information on one of the team’s best weapons.
According to Matt Maioco of NBC, “Jauan Jennings missed his third consecutive practice on Thursday due to a calf strain. It’s an aggravation of the same thing that bothered him in the offseason, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.”
This is a tough pill to swallow as Jennings is one of the best receivers on the roster. Not only that, but other receivers like Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall are listed on the physically unable to perform list. This means that the Niners are very thin in the wide receiver’s room.
With Jennings out, there is a hole on the roster
Now that Jennings has suffered yet another setback, the 49ers are missing a guy that just had a career-best year. Jennings had 975 yards and 6 touchdowns in 15 games last season. While he, Aiyuk and Pearsall recover, one question rises: who is catching passes from Brock Purdy?
As of right now, Kyle Shanahan has to draw plays for veteran Demarcus Robinson and second-year receiver, Jacob Cowing. Robinson won’t light the NFL on fire, but he is a reliable weapon. As for Cowing, it was reported earlier in spring camp that Shanahan is trying to implement many of Deebo Samuel’s plays to him.
Stars aren’t aligning for the 49ers
Last year, it was not good for San Francisco. Injuries took them out. This year, it’s not starting great, as injuries are still damaging this team’s best weapons. While Shanahan is a very good and creative coach, even he will struggle if there is no talent to work with.
As for Purdy, it’s the same. He is an above average quarterback, but if he doesn’t have quality players to throw the football to, he won’t be able to move the chains. As of now, the team just hopes they can have Jennings and company available soon.