It is no secret to anyone that the San Francisco 49ers struggle on special teams. This has been a constant since Kyle Shanahan became head coach in 2017, but the team may have unlocked a special teams ace in the hole with wide receiver Malik Turner.
In Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, Turner was an absolute standout on special teams. He made three huge tackles, one on punt coverage and two on kick coverage, that made him look like an experienced defensive tackler out there, not a wide receiver.
It was refreshing to see such great special teams plays on a unit that often causes Niners fans to hold their collective breath. Any time either the opponent or the 49ers kick the ball, it just feels like something is about to go wrong. Kicker Eddy Pineiro has been a welcome break from that feeling this season, but in any other circumstance, it feels like things are going to go wrong.
This stems from head coach Kyle Shanahan's philosophy, which basically relegates special teams to the "don't screw up" category. He thinks games should be won or lost based off what the offense and defense do and has never been especially concerned with the special teams phase of the game.
The team tried to address its special teams woes by bringing in Brant Boyer as the new special teams coordinator, but the results have been very mixed at best thus far. Pineiro has been a revelation in the kicking game and Thomas Morestead has been solid as a punter, but it is not comfortable watching Skyy Moore field punts or kicks and it seems like opponents are always about to break off a big return.
Turner may be showing that he is the antidote to that possibility, but the Niners may end up losing this secret weapon just as soon as they found him. Turner was sent back to the practice squad after Sunday's game, which means the 49ers will have to sign him to the 53-man roster in order for him to appear in another game this season.
The Niners signed Turner back in August when the team was dealing with depth issues at wide receiver. It is his second stint with San Francisco, and while he has not caught a pass in three games with the team, his value on special teams is evident. He seems to be the team's new version of Chris Conley as a veteran receiver who makes key contributions on special teams.
However, with the Niners having so many injured wide receivers who may return soon, it seems unlikely that they would be able to keep him on the 53-man roster for the long-term. Still, with how good he looked in kick and punt coverage against Atlanta, the 49ers should try to make it work to keep him on the field.