The San Francisco 49ers are back at it, shaking up their wide receiver room again. They just added Xavier Smith to their practice squad, a guy who actually played against them back in Week 1 when he was with the Rams. Talk about a quick turnaround, right?
The New Guy: Xavier Smith Brings The Juice
Smith isn’t just some random addition. He was the Rams’ punt and kickoff returner for the first three weeks of the season. The Niners clearly like what they see, especially his wheels. This dude is fast. How fast? He ripped a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at Florida A&M’s Pro Day. That’s some serious burner speed. He’s been with the Rams since 2024, standing at 5’9″ and 180 pounds, before they waived him on October 2. While the 49ers probably aren’t planning on him being a primary target right away, it tells you what they’re looking for. They’ve only worked out or signed receivers who can really run or have return experience. Smith definitely fits that bill with his extensive experience as a returner.
Injuries, Returns, And Shanahan’s Plan
This move isn’t happening in a vacuum. To make room for Smith, the 49ers put Dante Pettis on the practice squad injured reserve, as he’s dealing with a calf injury. It’s pretty clear the 49ers want to surround core passing targets like Mike Evans and George Kittle with as much speed as humanly possible, even if it’s on the practice squad. They’re clearly trying to shore up their return game too. Jacob Cowing has fair caught most of his returns so far, and even though he had one big return this year, it got called back. Smith has that returner experience, but he also muffed a huge punt in the playoffs last year, so there’s that. Kyle Shanahan is set to address the media before Wednesday’s practice, so we should get some more injury news and insight into this receiver shuffle soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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