The Offensive Player the 49ers Will Miss if he Leaves

Trent Williams could leave the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.

Trent Williams could leave the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. 

Another team could offer him a lucrative deal that the 49ers can’t to sweep him off of his feet. Losing Williams would hurt the 49ers because they would be forced to scramble for his replacement. But Williams isn’t the top offensive player the 49ers will miss if he leaves. 

That title belongs to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. 

Before you get up in and arms about this, you have to think about it from Kyle Shanahan’s viewpoint because he has full autonomy over the offense. Bourne, much against the lazy narrative for him, is actually a reliable receiver for the 49ers. He doesn’t miss games, which already puts him high on the totem pole with Shanahan. But he is an effective receiver when it comes to clutch downs. 

Bourne has proven to be a receiver that Shanahan can depend on no matter who is at quarterback. It also helps that Bourne has been with the 49ers since 2017, so he has tenure. That means he has a voice in that locker room. Essentially all of his teammates praise Bourne both as a player and a person. Even Shanahan has a special place for Bourne in his heart.

Replacing Bourne isn't necessarily something that will be difficult production wise. There will, of course, be that adjustment without him as he has locked down the No. 3 receiver role for years now. But he will definitely be missed as someone who can lighten a mood and brighten the room. 

Back in 2019 when locker room access was allowed, I would see Bourne always conversing with a teammate. It didn't matter what position that player was. He was going to mess around and be happy doing it. Not to mention his constant dancing during warmups at practice.

Losing Bourne is a likely reality for the 49ers. He has definitely earned to be paid more than last season and at this point with the salary cap, Bourne is a luxury for the 49ers now. Maybe the two sides can work something out because they both definitely want to remain together.

At the end of the day, the 49ers have other pressing needs to address than to retain their beloved wide receiver.