The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver depth chart took another hit on Wednesday when second-year wideout Jacob Cowing, who impressed during the team's offseason program, suffered a hamstring injury during the first practice of training camp.
"Hopefully, that's better news than what we're guessing out there," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, "and he can get back, and get back to what he was doing in OTAs."
The injury comes as the team was already facing questions at wide receiver. The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, while Brandon Aiyuk is still working his way back from ACL and MCL injuries sustained in October 2024.
Last year's first-round draft pick, Ricky Pearsall, began training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but Shanahan emphasized it was only precautionary and that Pearsall is expected to return soon.
"Ricky is someone that, if this was probably a few years ago, we would've practiced him today (Wednesday)," Shanahan said. "When you hit your GPS speed, your max speed that you hit before you were hurt, when you can run all those routes, that's usually your protocol to go back.
"He hit all that stuff over the weekend, which we felt good about. But we wanted to make sure his conditioning was right. So we're just doing that for three days, and if you can continue to hit all that stuff, and his conditioning's good, I'd be surprised if he wasn't out there Sunday."
Even with Pearsall nearing a return, some analysts believe the 49ers should consider adding veteran help. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper as potential targets who could thrive in Shanahan's offense.
"The two veterans have 11-all star nods between them," Benjamin noted.
The writer doesn't believe either receiver would be too expensive for the 49ers, who currently own about $45 million in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.
"Yes, San Francisco's wide receiver corps is theoretically set for the long term with both Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall in tow, but the former is still recovering from a serious injury, and Pearsall only has 11 NFL games under his belt," Benjamin explained. "After securing Brock Purdy for the long haul, it's not hard to envision Kyle Shanahan wanting to give his young quarterback added insurance out wide, especially in the form of a proven route-running possession target like Allen or Cooper."
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox also advocated for Allen as a fit, acknowledging that while the 33-year-old has lost some explosiveness, he can still produce. Allen showed that last season with Chicago, hauling in 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns despite what Knox described as an "inefficient" offense.
The 49ers also faced uncertainty with Jauan Jennings, who is seeking a new contract and could request a trade if a deal isn't reached. However, Jennings participated in Wednesday's practice, signaling potential progress in negotiations.
Knox commented, "Even with Jennings in the fold, San Francisco should consider adding Allen as insurance during Aiyuk's recovery."
With injuries and contract disputes impacting the depth chart, the 49ers could look to bolster their receiving corps before Week 1, and veteran options like Allen or Cooper remain available.