The undefeated San Francisco 49ers are not messing around with their wide receiver depth, even after a perfect 4-0 start, signing former Los Angeles Rams receiver Xavier Smith to their practice squad as they gear up for Sunday’s huge clash with our 3-1 Seattle Seahawks. Kyle Shanahan’s crew has already made multiple adjustments at the position this season, and bringing in a familiar NFC West name right before facing us definitely catches the eye.
Smith Joins the Niner Shuffle After Rams Cut
This move sees Xavier Smith, a 29-year-old former Ram, jump straight into the heart of the 49ers’ ongoing wide receiver shuffle. The Rams waived him on October 2, after he spent the first three games of the season primarily as their punt returner. Through those three games in 2026, Smith clocked seven punt returns for 69 yards and added seven kickoff returns for 144 yards. He originally joined Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M in 2023, grinding through his rookie season on the practice squad before becoming a return specialist in the seasons that followed. The Rams decided to go a “different direction” on special teams, and now Smith is a Niner.
49ers’ WR Room Is Feeling the Pressure
Don’t let that 4-0 record fool you; San Francisco is dealing with some serious injury woes at wide receiver, making this depth addition all the more telling. Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Christian Kirk have all been battling “significant availability issues,” while Mike Evans has also been “limited by injury.” That’s a lot of talent on the sidelines. The Niners have been busy trying to patch things up: Brandin Cooks got elevated from the practice squad to the active roster last week, Malik Turner was added to the practice squad, and KhaDarel Hodge was released with an injury settlement. Plus, Dante Pettis was signed to the practice squad just a few days ago on September 30.
The 49ers are about to face their “toughest early test” this Sunday against our Seattle Seahawks, who are sitting pretty at 3-1. With their undefeated streak on the line and a banged-up receiving corps, this game against our Hawks is going to be an absolute must-watch. You know the 12s will be ready to make Lumen Field a nightmare for them!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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