The San Francisco 49ers received some good news this week when Jauan Jennings ended any questions regarding a potential holdout after it became clear the franchise was not going to give in to his trade demands.
With Jennings returning to practice on Monday, that was a positive first step for San Francisco's offense. The former Tennessee Volunteers standout showing up for work alone is not the answer to the issues the Niners are facing at that position, though. That only became more evident on Tuesday after NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco reported that free agent WR Kendrick Bourne had turned down an offer from the franchise before traveling across the country to visit with the Washington Commanders.
Enter two-time NFL champion Marquez Valdes-Scantling. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, San Francisco is promoting the veteran wide receiver from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of their Week 1 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.
#49ers promoting veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a 53-man roster from pratice squad, per a league source @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 2, 2025
49ers Promote WR Valdes-Scantling After Kendrick Bourne Rejects Offer
Interestingly enough, this is the same franchise that surprisingly released Valdes-Scantling at the end of August despite signing him to a one-year, $4 million contract this offseason. Typically, a player who received a $3 million guarantee as part of his deal, like Valdes-Scantling did from Seattle, would be considered safe from roster cuts at the end of training camp. That was not the case here as the team ripped the band-aid off without any concerns of the financial loss.
Now, Valdes-Scantling will have the opportunity to exact some revenge this weekend against the team that deemed him unworthy of a roster spot. As much as that has to motivate the veteran wideout to perform at his best this weekend, his presence could be even more important to the 49ers' offense as they are simply running out of options on the outside at this point.
The 49ers' WR situation is enough to give fans nightmares. Injuries have taken a major toll on the unit. Jacob Cowing and Trent Taylor enter the regular season on the injured reserve, and Brandon Aiyuk remains on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he works his way back from the knee injury that ended his 2024 season.
Meanwhile, Demarcus Robinson is suspended for the team's first three games. And just to make things worse for San Francisco fans, Russell Gage and Jordan Watkins have also missed practice time leading up to this weekend's game.
What Valdes-Scantling is ultimately able to do in San Francisco now that he has been elevated to the active roster is anyone's guess. The Niners hope to return to the playoffs this season, and they will need the veteran to be at his best if they are to get there. If the two-time champion is capable of that at the age of 31, which he'll turn in October of this year, then Seattle could ultimately regret helping its division rival out.