Why Injuries to Wide Receivers are not an Immediate Concern for 49ers

Injuries happen all the time in the NFL. It is just a part of the game.

Injuries happen all the time in the NFL. It is just a part of the game.

But even I have to admit that the 49ers are one of the more unlucky teams to deal with them. Practically half of their starting team last season was on the shelf at one point or another. That theme appears to be continuing into 2020.

This time it is the wide receivers who are taken the major hit of injuries. 

It all started with Deebo Samuel fracturing his foot, then Jalen Hurd tearing his ACL. Now it just seems like every other week there is new injury at wide receiver with Brandon Aiyuk making the injury list.

So many receivers are going to be major question marks come Week 1 against the Cardinals. It really starts to make you wonder how the passing game is really going to have success early on without these guys.

But as much as these injuries are a current inconvenience, they are not an immediate concern for the 49ers.

Other than Hurd's injury, most of the 49ers' receivers are not expected to be out long-term. In fact, Aiyuk is most likely going to be available against the Cardinals. And I wouldn't rule out Samuel either. 

But let's assume those, for whatever reason, are out for their Week 1 matchup. All of the responsibility for production falls on Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, and Dante Pettis. Only Bourne is a recurring, reliable receiver here.

And to be quite frank, that is all the 49ers need early in the season.

This is not a pass-first offense, it is a run-first-always-and-forever offense. The running game is not an easy one to stop, let alone slow down. A lot of the clock is going to be drained from the heavy usage of the run game. With Trent Williams in the fold, there is no way Kyle Shanahan is not going to line George Kittle up next him and run the ball to the left side. It’s going to be their bread and butter. That is a huge way to keep the necessity of passing the ball to a minimum.  

Not to mention that the defense is still a juggernaut. It is not like they are going to be giving up 24+ points a game. That really is the only way to warrant the 49ers being concerned about the lack of wide receivers. 

And even then, it isn’t that much of a concern because it is early in the season. 

Had all these injuries taken place towards the end of the season, then it would definitely be something to worry about. But for now, there is no wide receiver concern for the 49ers.