49ers sign former Jets and Panthers standout amid Brandon Aiyuk drama

The 49ers inked Robbie "Chosen" Anderson to a contract, possibly to help the depth chart that's currently in flux, thanks to the Brandon Aiyuk situation.

The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with plenty of headaches at wide receiver as they gear up for their 2024 preseason opener this Saturday against the Tennessee Titans.

Biggest of those, of course, is the ongoing drama between the Niners and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who previously requested a trade amid a contract dispute and is reportedly close to being dealt, although the speculation continues to go back and forth.

On top of that, though, rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall is dealing with a shoulder injury and might not be available for the exhibition opener, requiring San Francisco to do some tweaking to its current offseason roster.

Among those tweaks, the 49ers are reportedly signing veteran wide receiver Chosen Anderson, the news of which was shared by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Thursday:

Formerly known as Robbie Anderson, the 31 year old has bounced around the league ever since being a mainstay with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers where the bulk of his career numbers were obtained.

Over four years with Gang Green, Anderson accumulated 3,059 yards and 20 touchdowns before heading to Carolina in 2020 where he posted a career-best 1,096 receiving yards before falling out of favor.

He briefly spent time with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 before becoming a role player with the Miami Dolphins last season.

Should 49ers expect a lot out of Chosen Anderson?

The Niners worked out Anderson recently and also signed Jontre Kirklin to help bolster the depth chart.

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While Anderson is certainly the more high-profile player of the two, it doesn't appear likely either will make much of a difference for the roster aside from helping out during the preseason.

Should Aiyuk stay put, Anderson's future is all but guaranteed, and it'd be one that doesn't include him staying with San Francisco. Even if Aiyuk is dealt, the likelihood would be one of the 49ers' other depth members assuming a more prominent role.

The exact nature of Anderson's deal with the Niners isn't yet known, but one shouldn't expect it to carry a lot (if any) dead money, meaning the veteran is probably just a camp body who'll see his team tenure come to a close prior to the regular season's commencement next month.

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