San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted that it was just last week that the team's wide receiver situation left him feeling uneasy. At the time, Jauan Jennings was sidelined with a calf injury while also navigating a contract adjustment. Fortunately for the 49ers, both issues were resolved this week, and Jennings returned to practice on Monday.
"Looking at a number of our guys, [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] was the only healthy guy," Shanahan said Thursday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "[WR Russell] Gage was hurt, and it was looking [like] we were going to be having four out of our five receivers up in Week 1 that hadn't even been here for longer than three days. So, that was a little bit of an unusual feeling, which makes you uneasy."
With just days before the 49ers' Week 1 clash against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, Shanahan is feeling more confident. Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are expected to start on Sunday, giving San Francisco stability at the top of the depth chart. Behind them, however, some uncertainty remains.
Many of those depth players haven't been with the team very long. While the coach doesn't expect their involvement to be extensive, the receivers have to be ready to contribute.
"You don't have to throw them into starting roles, but you know they're going to have to play a bit because, Jauan, we can't leave out there too long," Shanahan noted.
The 49ers are likely to turn to their practice squad for reinforcements. Gage, who was released from the active roster and re-signed to the practice squad this week, is a strong candidate to be elevated for Sunday's game. Shanahan hinted that he may not be the only one.
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll definitely have to elevate one, possibly two [receivers]," Shanahan shared. "We're still figuring that out. Today was a good practice. We'll see how the red zone goes tomorrow. But, yeah, we'll have five up for the game, so we've got to figure out how that goes."
Alongside Jennings and Pearsall, the 49ers currently have Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Jordan Watkins on the active roster. Watkins, who had been recovering from a high-ankle sprain, returned to practice on Thursday, though his status for Sunday remains uncertain.
If the 49ers do elevate two receivers, additional practice squad options include Junior Bergen, Robbie Chosen, and Malik Turner.