5 former 49ers who could be forced into retirement by free agency

No. 3: Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (Browns)

Wide receiver Marquise Brown, an Olympian and speedster, endeared himself to Niners fans back in 2017 in what was head coach Kyle Shanahan's first year at the helm.

Leading San Francisco with 962 yards that year, a career-best for him, Brown seemed to be the perfect blossoming find for a 49ers offense that was going through a massive rebuild of its own.

However, injuries and an influx of other targets the following two years ultimately led to Goodwin's demise with the Niners, and he ultimately bounced around the league from 2020 through 2023, ending last season with the Cleveland Brows with whom he played 12 games but had ony four catches for 67 yards.

At 33 years old, Goodwin could easily be phased out by younger receivers who are just as speedy and explosive as he was.