The San Francisco 49ers need reliability. Despite boasting some truly excellent players, injuries have plagued the roster from top to bottom. While the team has done an admirable job of pushing through despite those blows, a 5-3 start seems far from the ideal way they may have wanted the year to begin. Names like Brock Purdy and George Kittle have missed almost the entire season, while the wide receiver crew is in shambles.
Brandon Aiyuk has yet to suit up this season with an injury that has kept him out of action since last season. Add in blows to Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, and navigating the offense is becoming a challenge even for a mastermind like head coach Kyle Shanahan. As a result, one analyst believes San Francisco needs to make another move if they want to remain viable as a title threat this season.
San Francisco 49ers Need Able Bodies
Sending out Kendrick Bourne and Skyy Moore as two of your starting wide receivers isn’t going to be a recipe for success. Despite the excellence Christian McCaffrey has shown, both on the ground and through the air, the squad needs more reliable pass catchers.
As a result, Josh Weil of PFSN believes the 49ers need to go after veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley and free him from the shackles of the Tennessee Titans. With no wide receiver ranking higher than 30th on PFSN’s WR Impact, the need for able bodies is a must.
And Ridley, despite a slow start to the 2025 season, has an unblemished track record. “Ridley is a deep threat, as he is tied for 16th-best in the league with an average of 18.7Â yards per reception,” Weil noted.
As a result, he could fit perfectly as a second or third option on any team, and the Niners are in a prime position to offer him that role exactly. With Purdy continuing to miss time and Mac Jones remaining under center, a former first-round pick might be just what the doctor ordered.
Entering this season, the two-time college football playoffs national champion had over 5,000 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns to his credit. In the second season of his four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, he could be a relatively cheap rental for San Francisco to stay afloat for the duration of this season.
With injuries piling up on defense as well, most notably with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, it is hard to anticipate that they’ll be able to offer much resistance in the coming weeks. The offense will need to carry a heavier load then, and Ridley could help bridge the gap.
