Brandin Cooks Is Elevated to the 49ers Roster, and Their Wide Receiver Room Is on Life Support

The San Francisco 49ers just pulled veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks up from the practice squad to their active roster, and it is a move that screams desperation. With Khadarel Hodge, who was dealing with a knee injury, reportedly not showing up to Thursday’s practice, the Niners’ receiver situation has officially become a full-blown crisis.

The 49ers’ Receiver Depth Is Falling Apart

This isn’t just about one guy; it’s a cascade. The 49ers kicked off the season already without Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk, then saw De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson go down. Now, Hodge, who had only been on the active roster for two weeks after being elevated himself, is likely out with that knee issue. Plus, Mike Evans is battling a rib injury. Seriously, what is going on down there? This leaves the 49ers with just Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins as their healthy options, which is a rough hand to play in the NFL. Hodge was stepping up big-time, playing 30 of 54 snaps against the Arizona Cardinals, second only to Samuel among receivers. Now, that void is wide open, and Cooks is being asked to fill it.

A New Face (Again) on the Perimeter

Cooks, who turned 33 just last week, was signed to the practice squad after all these injuries started piling up. Now, he’s getting the call-up to hopefully provide some much-needed depth on the perimeter. The guy’s no slouch, either; he’s only 189 receiving yards away from hitting 10,000 career yards. Last season, split between the New Orleans Saints and the Buffalo Bills, he snagged 24 passes for 279 yards in 15 games, plus another five catches for 78 yards in two playoff games for the Bills. They’re also bringing back Malik Turner to the practice squad, who’s been a mainstay in their offseason camps for years and could be seeing an elevation himself soon. This is actually their second receiver addition this week, with Dante Pettis getting signed to the practice squad on Wednesday.

This is all about finding bodies and hoping someone can make a play. The 49ers are really scrambling for depth right now, and how Cooks performs could be huge for them in the coming weeks as they try to keep their season on track.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.