San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Friday morning to discuss the team's wide receiver situation. With Deebo Samuel traded this offseason and Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from ACL and MCL injuries sustained in October, the position became a focal point heading into the offseason program.
The 49ers signed veteran wideout Demarcus Robinson, but he faces a possible three-game suspension to start the season. That leaves Jauan Jennings and rookie Ricky Pearsall as the likely Week 1 starters when San Francisco travels to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Seahawks.
However, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Thursday that Pearsall is dealing with a minor hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for the remainder of organized team activities (OTAs).
Lynch addressed Pearsall's injury Friday morning.
"Ricky's had a really good offseason," Lynch said. "I know a lot of people learned yesterday [about the injury]. Kudos to Kyle. A lot of coaches, this time of year, you don't have to give injuries. There's no secrets. We're not trying to hide anything. Ricky's worked his tail off this offseason. He and Jake Cowing have really approached this offseason, and they've attacked it.
"It's a shame he kind of got tweaked, but like I said, we've been out here working hard, and you're always going to have a lot of caution this time of year. And I think it allows us to have a little more caution when we know the work Ricky's put in. He's in great shape. Ricky's going to be a really good football player in this league, I think, for a long time, so we're excited about that.
"I'm sure if it were the regular season, we'd be pushing to get him back next week. It's not worth it right now. We want that thing to really heal up, and we'll get him healthy for training camp. But he's put in a lot of quality work."
Brandon Aiyuk's recovery
Regarding Aiyuk, while there's still no official timeline for his return, Lynch expressed optimism about the wideout's recovery.
"Brandon's tracking in a good way with his knee, and you've just got to kind of let that play out," Lynch said. "We're not going to put him out there until he's ready, but we're excited with our receiver group and where we're at."
WR competition
Lynch highlighted the competition within the position group. The 49ers selected two wide receivers in this year's draft—Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen. While Bergen was primarily brought in as a special teams returner, Lynch noted the rookie has also shown promise on offense.
Jacob Cowing is another name to watch. Lynch praised his development, but added, "Now, you've got to carry that over to training camp, and then, onto the field. But a lot to be encouraged of."
Will the 49ers sign another receiver?
When asked whether the 49ers might add another receiver before the season begins, Lynch didn't rule it out but emphasized the team's confidence in its current depth.
"You never close the door on that," Lynch said. "I don't think we have to. Like I said, I think there's a lot of quality and a lot of competition, and you kind of let that play out. And if opportunity presents itself to get better, then we'll always be interested in that. But right now, we don't feel like we're in a situation where we have to."
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