The San Francisco 49ers' shortages at wide receiver in the early phases of 2025 have been well-documented, highlighting just how problematic things have been for head coach Kyle Shanahan with two of his best options, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (shoulder, ankle) missing time.
Less discussed, however, is the season-to-date absence of veteran receiver Demarcus Robinson, whose three-game suspension for a 2024 DUI just concluded in time for the Niners to host the 2-1 Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4.
Robinson's return could force Shanahan to juggle his receiver room even more, especially after San Francisco reunited with one of its former players, Kendrick Bourne, entering Week 2.
That said, Robinson's mere presence might be enough to fully get Shanahan's offense running in high gear this weekend and beyond.
49ers can't welcome Demarcus Robinson back soon enough
in the absence of Robinson, Jennings and Aiyuk, the 49ers have successfully force-fed second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall to the tune of two 100-yard games in three weeks while also trying to navigate things without one of the NFL's biggest receiving threats, tight end George Kittle, who remains on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Yet Week 3's narrow victory over the Arizona Cardinals revealed a painful truth: Defenses don't fear the fringe receivers on the depth chart, particularly names like Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And that allowed defenders to cheat closer to the box, thereby limiting effective rushes by running back Christian McCaffrey.
Robinson's presence should change all that.
Both of the Niners' starting quarterbacks, Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, had solid rapports with Robinson during training camp and into the preseason, and the receiver's grasp of a Shanahan-like offense was evident throughout the leadup to the regular season, thanks largely to the 2024 tenure with head coach Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.
Indeed, the 31-year-old veteran's career-best year happened in L.A. when he tallied 505 yards and seven touchdowns.
Picked up in free agency by San Francisco this offseason, it's not hard to see why Shanahan and Co. viewed Robinson as a potential tertiary-impact kind of player, knowing fully well he'd likely start off the year on the reserve/suspended list.
Having successfully navigated his absence by winning three games, the 49ers can now breathe a little easier in anticipation of his return and contributions.
The offense as a whole figures to benefit in more ways than one.