Kyle Shanahan Confirms Double QB Decision After 49ers Add New Weapon for Brock Purdy

Kyle Shanahan and the team offered the most lucrative quarterback deal of the offseason. Now the real intrigue centers on the backup order. Brock Purdy, who signed a five-year, $265 million contract, was strongly hinted to sit out the preseason games after Week 2 against the Raiders. Shanahan is intent on guarding him from injury. The 49ers can’t have their crown jewel shaken up with injury punches like the receiving corps. The spotlight shifts instead to those fighting behind him for roster spots before Tuesday, August 26. As the preseason finale against the Chargers on August 23 approaches, Shanahan stacked his 90-man roster with added weapons. He sharpened the competition and dodged further injuries before cutting it down to 53 by next week.

In a whirlwind of quarterback moves, the 49ers have brought in Tanner Mordecai on a one-year contract. The news was first shared by 49ers reporter Matt Maiocco, who posted on X, “QB Tanner Mordecai is back on the 49ers’ 90-man roster. Nate Sudfeld is not on the field or the current roster.” Sudfeld, originally drafted in 2016, spent just two days with the team before being let go, leaving Mordecai as the latest addition to the depth chart.

Kyle Shanahan’s adjustments did not end with the quarterback room. Wide receiver Skyy Moore has also joined the team. He has arrived from the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2027. Moore struggled through a core muscle injury last season that limited him to only six games, and he has not recorded a catch since December 2023. The move adds another layer of intrigue to the roster as the 49ers continue shaping their offensive depth.

San Francisco had already dealt with WR injuries to Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins. And now they have brought in another receiver with a history of setbacks. General manager John Lynch tried to calm the concern, telling KNBR 680-AM, “We’ll have enough guys come Week 1 to put a formidable group out there, then we’ll get some guys back throughout the course of the season. We’ll be OK there.” With the receiver room feeling like a ghost town, Christian McCaffrey has taken up a chunk of the spotlight as Russell Gage Jr is reported to miss time on the turf after spraining his MCL.

The WR room feels like a castle built on sand as the front office hands out medical updates on their injured players.

When can Kyle Shanahan expect 49ers WRs back?

The wide receiver depth chart for San Francisco is battered with injuries and has no clear recovery timeline. That makes the arrival of Week 1 in September highly unsettling for fans. John Lynch is wary of any more setbacks, admitting, “Now, we’ve got to keep the guys who we have healthy. We’ve got to find a way to get from here to there. But that’s what our calling is. That’s what our job is. So, we’ll do it, and we’ll figure out a way, and we’re going to be all right.”

The uncertainty grows with Russell Gage, who is sidelined with a sprained MCL. Adam Schefter reported he will miss at least 7 to 10 days. That timeline makes a Week 1 appearance unlikely. Lynch, however, is holding on to optimism. “He will miss some time. We expect him to be ready for our opener, and I think that was somewhat — it’s not ideal — but it’s better than the alternative with what we saw. But he’s working through that.”

Brandon Aiyuk’s case carries the most weight. Lynch laid out the plan carefully, saying, “I think we feel comfortable saying he’s not going to be there Week 1, and then, it will probably be some time after that. I’m not going to put exact timelines, but hopefully, sometime in this season, he’s playing the type of football we know, when he’s out there, that he is expected to, and expects himself to play at. And it’ll be a big boost to our team.” Speculation has centered around Week 6 for his return. If placed on the PUP list, he would not be eligible until Week 5.

Elsewhere in the receiver room, injuries continue to stack up. Jacob Cowing’s hamstring has become a recurring problem. After three weeks of rehab, he briefly returned to the field, only to re-aggravate the same issue. Jauan Jennings has been grinding through a calf problem. His rhythm with Brock Purdy was clear earlier. But he admitted to being buried in physical therapy as he fights to get healthy.

Demarcus Robinson is currently available, though uncertainty lingers over a possible suspension. Lynch addressed the matter cautiously, saying, “We’ll be respectful of that, and when the league makes their final determination, everybody will know right along with us. I think we’re at the stage of it, and you guys will know when we will know.” With such a tenuous roster, all eyes are now on Kyle Shanahan to see how he manages this fragile depth as kickoff looms.