5 49ers whose NFL careers may be over if they don’t make 53-man roster
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers wide receiver Marcus Johnson
Prior to San Francisco using a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on former SMU wideout Danny Gray, and before the 49ers finally extended All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel, the team inked two veteran receivers to supplement the back end of the depth chart, Malik Turner and Marcus Johnson, both of whom were likely little more than insurance moves in case the Niners’ wide receiver room completely fell apart during the offseason.
It didn’t, and now both Turner and Johnson are faced with the reality of being on the weak side of the bubble.
Samuel, Gray, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud all but occupy the first five spots on the depth chart. And if San Francisco keeps a sixth wideout, Johnson faces a monstrous task of trying to hang around.
Suffering an untimely concussion during training camp didn’t help Johnson’s chances either.
Now 28 years old, and having spent the bulk of his career on the fringes of other teams’ rosters, Johnson could effectively be pushed out of the league as a direct result of the massive infusion of receiving talent from the draft over the last three seasons.
It’d certainly be a tough break for the veteran, but it’s a possibility he can’t totally avoid.