Top 5 former 49ers who remain unemployed in NFL free agency
By Peter Panacy
Former 49ers player No. 2: Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders
His time with the 49ers didn’t last long, but there’s no doubting veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders made a massive difference in the Niners’ run up to Super Bowl LIV back in the 2019 season.
A trade acquisition just prior to that year’s NFL trade deadline, Sanders finished his San Francisco tenure with 36 catches for 502 yards and three touchdowns over nine regular-season games, and one can only wonder what could have happened if quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t overthrow him late in the fourth quarter during the Super Bowl.
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Nevertheless, Sanders received a lot of credit for helping the 49ers get to the Super Bowl while also mentoring now first-team All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel in the process.
Yet the Niners let Sanders walk in free agency, him ultimately joining the New Orleans Saints the following offseason, then turning into a cap casualty before signing on with the Buffalo Bills for 2021.
Having just turned 35 years old, Sanders can still help a team in need of depth at the position, but his days as a No. 1 option are long gone.