The San Francisco 49ers' struggles at the wide receiver position are not a breaking news story or recent development. Unfortunately, the issues with the team at this highly pivotal position on offense have stemmed from last season.
Veteran wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was adamant about getting a new big contract for his catch. When he received his four-year deal, fellow wideout Deebo Samuel took notice.
By mid-season, Aiyuk tore his ACL and was done for the year, just before the 49ers' playoff hopes, too. Samuel has since been traded, and another San Francisco receiver, Jauan Jennings, has demanded an alternative contract. Furthermore, Demarcus Robinson is suspended for the first three games, too.
Samuel's arrival with the Washington Commanders imploded their locker room just a tad as star wide receiver Terry McLaurin want assurances that he was in the big picture for the NFC Championship finalists.
Thus, rumored trade requests circulated fast like a California forest fire.
That would have been the perfect opportunity for the five-time Super Bowl champions to scoop in and trade for the disgruntled wideout from the NFC East and welcome him to the Bay Area. McLaurin was on the last year of his deal in Washington, making him an ideal trade target for San Francisco.
Until...
Terry McLaurin's new deal squanders 49ers' chances of adding talented veteran
The status of some of the established receivers on San Francisco's roster caused panic and nervousness for fans. With a variety of reasons keeping Aiyuk, Robinson, and potentially Jennings off the field for Week 1 and more, young players like Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing may have to be trusted to take the field.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has not been accustomed to trusting rookies to play early on in the season, and the same pretty much goes for second-year players.
However, the 49ers may have no choice since McLaurin will remain a Commander, at least for the foreseeable future in the wake of a $96 million extension, reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter:
Breaking: The Commanders and WR Terry McLaurin reached an agreement today on a three-year contract extension that will end his hold-in and get him in uniform for the regular-season opener vs. the Giants, sources told @AdamSchefter. The extension is worth up to $96 million his… pic.twitter.com/YHLR5rBW7Y
— ESPN (@espn) August 25, 2025
Washington will have both Samuel and McLaurin line up for Week 1 when they host the New York Giants.
San Francisco, meanwhile, will carry some question marks, such as "what could have been?" among others.