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The San Francisco 49ers lost a receiver for the season, and they also have their sights set on getting another back. Unfortunately, they suffered another offensive injury at training camp, according to a post on X by Nick Wagoner via Adam Schefter.
“Another 49ers WR injury:
Nick Wagoner @nwagoner
#49ers rookie WR Jordan Watkins has a high ankle sprain. He’s expected to miss about a month.”
49ers' plans for WR Jordan Watkins set back
The 49ers selected Watkins in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had plans for him to take the top off of defenses.
“Love his speed,” Shanahan said. “First thing you notice when you see a guy for the first time, you look at his 40 time, then you watch his routes at the Combine. I thought he was one of the better route runners at the Combine, just with natural receiver skills and everything.
“You watch his hands, he was our best graded-out guy going through the gauntlet and stuff with just true natural hands. Watched his one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl and then to how he played at Ole Miss, talking to Lane Kiffin, the whole package. We love the guy. Think he’s got a great skillset and needed to add him to the group.”
In the 49ers' receiver room, he is listed as second team. Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall man the starting spots with Demarcus Robinson and Jacob Cowing in the mix.
But Robinson is another concern as he may face a league suspension. Shanahan said he didn’t know how things would go for Robinson, according to nytimes.com.
“I’m not sure how it’s going,” Shanahan said of the appeal. “We always just plan for the worst and hope for the best. But he’s done a good job here. We’ve really enjoyed him as a guy. Knowing he won’t be in there most likely for those first few games, he’ll play a lot more in the preseason.”
Jennings also figures into the concern mix with his injury and contract situation.
“This is actually why Jauan missed OTAs — because of his calf,” Shanahan said. “It’s the same injury he had last year during training camp. We didn’t get him until the end of training camp last year. And it’s the same thing on the MRI, and it’s the same thing he’s going through. But hopefully we’ll get him back sooner than later.”
