The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver room is absolutely hammered right now. Seriously, their position group is as banged up as any across the NFL this season. After losing Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhuan Stribling, Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson, and now Deebo Samuel to various injury issues, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports that the 49ers are most likely rolling with 13-year NFL veteran Brandin Cooks as their new WR2. This is the move, folks, assuming no one else magically gets healthy.
The Injury Tsunami Hits Hard
Man, the Niners’ WR depth chart looks like a hospital ward right now. Over just five weeks, they’ve seen a brutal string of injuries. Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhuan Stribling, Christian Kirk, and Demarcus Robinson have all been sidelined for varying amounts of time. But the real gut punch? Deebo Samuel, who just went down with a significant hamstring strain in the third quarter of their last game. Head Coach Shanahan confirmed Samuel will miss “some time,” which is never what you want to hear, especially with the grind of the regular season. Mike Evans is clearly the No. 1 option for Brock Purdy, but with Samuel out, that No. 2 spot became a massive question mark.
Brandin Cooks Takes The Reins
So, who steps into that huge void? All signs point to Brandin Cooks. According to Barrows, Cooks played nearly every snap after Samuel exited that game, and he made a fantastic, sliding touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead. That’s clutch, right? The guy’s a 13-year NFL veteran, with 9,818 receiving yards under his belt over his career, playing for his seventh NFL franchise. He knows the ropes. While Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins are behind him in the pecking order, Barrows’ update makes it clear that Cooks is first in line for the WR2 role. Cowing served as the No. 3 receiver when he came back from an ankle injury in the third quarter, and Watkins only played when Evans took a breather on the sideline. For now, it’s Cooks’ job.
This isn’t painted as a long-term solution for the 49ers, but with Deebo Samuel out for a while, Cooks is the guy. They’ve got their Week 6 Monday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders coming up. All eyes will be on Cooks to see how he handles the increased pressure and targets. Can the seasoned veteran step up and fill those big shoes for Purdy? We’ll find out under the lights.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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