The San Francisco 49ers have a major problem at wide receiver going into the offseason.
The Niners find themselves with no shortage of question marks with their group of pass-catchers overall. Jauan Jennings is a pending free agent, Brandon Aiyuk is going to be cut or traded and George Kittle isn't certain to be ready for Week 1 following his January Achilles injury.
When it comes to the future of Jennings in San Francisco, NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco doesn't think he's going to return to the 49ers in 2026.
Maiocco also weighed in on a possible reunion with Deebo Samuel, who is a pending free agent. The 49ers insider doesn't think that's in the cards, either.
"I don't think that anything has changed in a year where both sides are just like 'oh my gosh, we just can't survive without each other. Let's bring him back,'" Maiocco said.
“Let's just say, I wouldn’t expect Jennings to be back to the 49ers. I wouldn’t expect Deebo Samuel to come back to the 49ers," Maiocco added.
Samuel's name came up recently when Kittle hinted that a reunion between Deebo and the Niners was possible this offseason. It would appear, based on Maiocco's reporting, that might have been just wishful thinking from Kittle.
Samuel showed he's got some gas left in the tank after last season, but the Niners are also looking to get younger and signing a 30-year-old wide receiver doesn't meet the criteria.
One of the top pending free-agent wide receivers this offseason is George Pickens, who is sure to draw interest from several teams if he hits the open market or is available via trade in a tag-and-trade situation.
However, Maiocco doesn't believe the 49ers will be one of those teams.
"I think the Cowboys are going to franchise [Pickens], but even if they didn't, I don't think George Pickens is the kind of player that the 49ers would go after," Maiocco said of Pickens. "His price is going to be very high, and also remember the controversy with Pittsburgh, where he just wasn't a willing blocker and that's something I can't imagine Kyle Shanahan would put on the film, watch George Pickens' effort during blocking and say 'that's a guy I want.'"
We would agree with Maiocco on Pickens.
There is no doubt Pickens is uber-talented, but his past behavioral issues make him a major risk for any team that chooses to pay him.
We just don't see Shanahan and general manager John Lynch being open to taking that kind of gamble, especially after the Aiyuk debacle.
With Jennings unlikely to return, that gives the Niners even more work to do at wide receiver.
The Niners need a No. 1 and, depending on how they view Ricky Pearsall, a No. 2 or 3, also. San Francisco could bring back Kendrick Bourne to offer some much-needed veteran depth, and maybe they consider giving him a bigger role.
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