The wide receiver situation has gotten so bad for the San Francisco 49ers that the team has signed Dante Pettis to the practice squad. For those who have forgotten, Pettis was a second-round pick by the Niners back in 2018.
While he had high hopes coming out of the University of Washington, he failed to live up to expectations, and he pretty quickly found his way into head coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse. Pettis put up decent numbers, but it seemed pretty clear he was never going to be a long-term fit, so the Niners decided to waive him back in 2020.
Since then, he has bounced around from team to team, usually recording 10 to 20 receptions per season. San Francisco is already down De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson since the start of the season, so Pettis is another depth piece alongside fellow signee Brandin Cooks. But if the red and gold are still feeling nostalgic, there are three other receivers they could bring back.
1. Ray-Ray McCloud
McCloud was released by the Chicago Bears late in August, and 49ers fans will probably remember him as the team’s primary kick and punt returner for a few seasons.
He was involved in a play in the Super Bowl during the 2023 season, where a punt ricocheted off Darrell Luter’s foot, and McCloud was unable to corral it. That play shifted the momentum of the game and helped the Kansas City Chiefs win.
McCloud played for the Atlanta Falcons the last two seasons under Raheem Morris and took some shots at the Niners while he was there. As a result, he may not exactly be welcomed back with open arms, but if the team has any more injuries, they may have no choice.
2. Terique Owens
The son of 49ers great Terrell Owens, Terique signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent back in 2024. He was never elevated to the 53-man roster and is now playing in the Canadian Football League.
He wouldn’t be a terrible option even if he’s never played in an NFL game. He received some praise while he was with the Niners, and he could serve as another depth piece if even more receivers go down.
3. Trent Taylor
We all thought we’d seen the last of Trent Taylor when he announced his retirement earlier this year, but if things get desperate enough for San Francisco, don’t be shocked if the Niners give him a call.
Sure, it’s cute that Aaron Donald came out of retirement to help the Los Angeles Rams try to win another Super Bowl, but when Trent Taylor comes out of retirement to help the Niners make a run, the rest of the league won’t know what hit it (cue the eye rolls from every NFL fan who resides outside of the Bay Area).
There’s nothing like a good reunion, and if the 49ers are desperate enough to bring back Pettis, then it’s not completely crazy to think one of these three guys could make their way back to the organization as well.
Add us as a preferred source on Google