The San Francisco 49ers entered the offseason knowing that wide receiver was a key positional need. They addressed it quite well both in free agency and in the NFL Draft, so well in fact that they may have to move on from a veteran receiver to make room.
After adding Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency and drafting De’Zhaun Stribling in the first round, the Niners now have three new pass-catchers to add to the depth chart; there may not be room for Demarcus Robinson, even though he is a solid veteran.
49ers beat writer Matt Barrows has even predicted the Niners will move on from Robinson this offseason.
The Niners signed Robinson to a two-year contract last offseason, and the hope was he would be a solid red-zone target for quarterback Brock Purdy after he had a good campaign in 2024 with the Los Angeles Rams.
That was not exactly how things turned out, as Robinson had a disappointing 2025 season. He had 22 receptions for 276 yards and had one touchdown. He had a big game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs, as he had six catches for 111 yards and one touchdown, but it’s unclear what role he will play in the offense next season.
Evans is the obvious No. 1 receiver, Ricky Pearsall will be No. 2 on the depth chart, so long as he’s healthy, and Kirk is probably the early favorite for No. 3 role as he has the size to be a slot receiver and the speed to be a deep threat.
Stribling may get some action, but he will have to prove to head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is known to be hard on his young receivers, that he is ready to be a contributor in an NFL offense.
There are others to be accounted for as well like Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, and Junior Bergen.
The Niners would probably carry six or seven receivers, at most, on the 53-man roster, so that means some guys will be on the practice squad. But it will also mean some tough choices have to be made on who will make the roster.
Robinson has a lot of experience and may be a good luck charm of sorts, as the 10-year veteran has appeared in the playoffs every single season he has been in the league. So maybe, the Niners should assess where things are at in training camp and the preseason and possibly even dangle him as a trade chip if they think they’d feel comfortable without him.
If they are, then Robinson may have already played his last snap for San Francisco.
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