With a record of 6-8, 49ers fans are fully committed to the youth movement. The 2024 rookie class has earned rave reviews with the early returns from Dominick Puni, Renardo Green, and Malik Mustapha. Isaac Guerendo will miss Sunday's game but has been solid when called upon. The two unknowns for the 49ers are in the wide receiver room.
Ricky Pearsall's season has been a roller coaster, considering the former Florida receiver dealt with injuries before training camp before being shot during a robbery attempt before Week 1. The rookie bounced back miraculously and avoided serious injury to return to the field. Pearsall scored his first NFL touchdown against the Buccaneers.
Given Brandon Aiyuk's injury, Pearsall has been rotating snaps lately, but the production just hasn't been there. The overwhelming majority of 49ers fans want Pearsall and Jacob Cowing to play more down the stretch in the name of development. Cowing has the speed to be a downfield threat, and 91 percent of fans want to see the two receivers on the field, according to our FanDuel Sportsbook sponsored poll.
Given the team's financial commitment and investment in Deebo Samuel, benching the former all-pro for the next three weeks is nearly impossible. However, rotating the two rookies into the mix isn't impossible. After the loss to the Rams, the team utilized Samuel as the primary kick returner, with more snaps for Pearsall.
Trust is a big part of Kyle Shanahan's plan for playing time. However, rookies making rookie mistakes is OK, as long as it is in the name of development. Decisions must be made about the future of the wide receiver room, and giving Chris Conley snaps over the two rookies only clouds their evaluation process.
The final three weeks should be for evaluation and figuring out who is a part of the solution for this roster moving forward. The future is intriguing for the 49ers, with a full set of draft picks and decisions that need to be made regarding veterans and the salary cap situation. 49ers fans are lukewarm regarding the team's direction, with only 48 percent of fans confident in the team.
How do you feel about the 49ers plan for their rookie wide receivers? Let us know in the comments!