6 former 49ers from 2021 who are still surprisingly free agents
By Peter Panacy
Former 49ers free-agent No. 3: Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has had a long and understandable affinity for veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.
After all, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound wideout played a big role in Shanahan’s Atlanta Falcons offense during that team’s Super Bowl run in 2016, and Shanahan frequently credited Sanu’s presence as a big-slot option that year as being a key reason for success.
Sanu’s first stint with the 49ers in 2020 was brief, just three games, yet bringing him back in 2021 had some merit, especially with question marks regarding the back end of the wide receiver room and the need for a veteran presence.
That said, Sanu was limited to just 15 catches for only 177 yards and zero touchdowns over eight games played, primarily all of them coming towards the beginning of the season before injuries and the emergence of fellow receiver Jauan Jennings put the veteran on the backburner.
As is the case with Travis Benjamin, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Sanu might have a tough time landing a new opportunity with the sheer number of young wide receivers who’ve entered the league in the last three years.