Based on salary alone, the pecking order of the 49ers’ wide receiver room should be cut-and-dry.
Brandon Aiyuk is the highest-paid wide receiver on the 49ers — they pay him $30 million per season. He should be the no. 1 option.
Deebo Samuel is the second-highest-paid wide receiver on the 49ers — they pay him $24 million per season. He should be the no. 2 option.
And Jauan Jennings is the third-highest-paid wide receiver on the 49ers — they pay him less than $8 million per season. He should be the no. 3 option.
But through three games this season, the no. 1 option unquestionably has been Jennings.
He still plays less than Aiyuk and Samuel. When they’re healthy, they tend to play roughly 80 percent of the offensive snaps while Jennings plays roughly 55 percent of them. And yet he still leads the team in targets, catches, receiving yards and touchdowns. He’s having a Pro Bowl season and forcing his way into the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Deebo Samuel has no touchdown catches and is averaging a career-worst 4.2 yards after catch per reception. He’s clearly the second-best receiver on the team after Jennings.
And then there’s the $30 million man, Aiyuk. He’s simply not producing. Brock Purdy’s passer rating when targeting him this season is a grotesque 56.6. The 49ers are forcing him the ball to justify his outrageous contract.
They need to just accept that Aiyuk is the most expensive no. 3 receiver in the history of the NFL and move on.
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