The San Francisco 49ers are once again looking for internal support for their depleted receiving corps, and they think they found their solution in Jordan Watkins.
Mike Evans left the game with a rib/oblique injury and did not return, and Watkins was one of the players asked to fill the void. He caught two passes for 60 yards, with a long of 34, on just two targets in San Francisco's 36-30 win over Arizona in Week 3.
"I was really pumped for Watkins," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "That was such a big seam route that he ran on third down and he almost looked like he was going to break those tackles and score. I thought he looked real impressive on it. Then at the end of the second quarter, he was the reason we got three points there on that 57-yard
field goal right before the half.”
The 24-year-old was drafted by San Francisco in the fourth round in 2025. As a rookie, he had two catches for 26 yards in four games and dealt with injuries throughout his earlier career.
This opportunity, Watkins said, came from asking for it.
"I'm a competitor at heart," he said. "To be on the sidelines in sweats, to me, that's not being able to compete."
Shanahan said the team should know more Monday about how long Evans could be out. If it's a while, Watkins may see much more work until the rest of the receiver room gets healthy.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Shanahan 'pumped' for 2nd-year WR after breakout game vs. Arizona
