Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers finally received some good news this week regarding one of their injured wide receivers. Mario Manningham, who tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee last season, is recovering well and has started running and making cuts on the field.

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With the devastating news this week that Michael Crabtree will likely be out at least for six months because of a torn Achilles, hearing that Manningham has started running was encouraging. The offense will need Manningham now more than ever as Jim Harbaugh looks for the next person on the depth chart to step up to replace Crabtree.

Manningham was injured late last season before going on injured reserve. The irony here is that after Manningham went down, Crabtree stepped up to become the offenses playmaker on the outside. Now the roles are reversed with Manningham, if he recovers to 100%, possibly becoming the playmaker on the perimeter again.

Before Manningham went down with his injuries, he posted 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown. He also dealt with shoulder injuries early last season which caused him to miss the game in Week 7. The wide receiver has shown dedication in his recovery as he has been rehabbing all offseason at 49ers headquarters. This allows the Niners medical personnel to monitor his recovery up-close and make sure he returns to the field at 100% sooner, rather than later.

There is no timetable as to when he will be able to rejoin the team on the practice field.

Manningham on his rehab:

I have started and running cutting and doing little things. When you have knee injuries, you can’t really take any time off. Every time I think about it, I’m trying to do something with my knee. I’m not rushing it but I am going hard on my knee.

November 25, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) escapes a tackle by New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (33) during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers defeated the Saints 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

With free-agency all about who can strike the richest deal, there are others out there which value winning a Super Bowl more. In a cost saving move, San Francisco 49ers WR Mario Manningham offered to take a pay-cut to give some much needed cap relief to the 49ers. Manningham was scheduled to make $3.6 million this upcoming season, but dropped his payroll to $1.8 million to remain with the team.

In Manningham’s first year with the 49ers, he accumulated 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown. In 2012, Manningham’s season abruptly ended when he tore both his MCL and ACL in last year’s meeting with the Seattle Seahawks, resulting in him missing the last four games of the regular season and playoffs. In Manningham’s five-year career he has 202 receptions, 2,764 yards, and 19 touchdowns.

Manningham has been a great role player since signing with San Francisco, and this act of loyality, only confirms that belief. With the 49ers now stocked at the wide receiver position with WR Michael Crabtree and now WR Anquan Boldin, Manningham will have his work cut out for him, as the third option once again. That is easier said than done, as other notable wide receivers include WR Kyle Williams and last year’s first-round draft pick WR A.J. Jenkins.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mario Manningham was absent from practice on Wednesday because of a shoulder injury.  If you recall, he left the Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Rams in the fourth quarter which depleted an already thin receiver’s corps.

With Kyle Williams having season-ending ACL surgery on Wednesday and the potential loss of Manningham against the Dolphins this week, the 49ers could have only a total of four wide receivers available.  Those receivers are Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Ted Ginn Jr. and A.J. Jenkins.  We all know Crabtree and Moss can be counted on to give Colin Kaepernick good receiving options.  But Ginn only has two catches this season and Jenkins was activated for the first time in his career last week, but did not play a single snap.

Ginn should not be looked at as a third or fourth receiving option.  The 49ers cannot risk him getting injured because of his importance in the return game.  He missed the first three games of the season with an ankle injury and recently hurt his wrist against Saints. His injury was bad enough that it was uncertain if he would play against the Rams last Sunday.  With Williams and Kendall Hunter out for the season, who were the backup returners, the 49ers have very limited options in the return game if he gets hurt gain. They must not expose him to injury on offense.

Jenkins is fully healthy, but the first-round draft pick has not seen action on the field this season.  Regardless of whether or not Manningham will play on Sunday, Jenkins will get onto the field at wide receiver.  How effective he will be is a whole another story.