Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Russell Gage Jr.

Wednesday, August 27, 12:37 PM

The San Francisco 49ers are signing veteran free-agent wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, a source tells Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Valdes-Scantling was unable to make the Seattle Seahawks' final 53-man roster heading into the regular season, but he'll remain in the NFC West division and join a 49ers team with a banged-up receiver room. MVS was choosing betwen the 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The 30-year-old still shouldn't be drafted in 12-team fantasy leagues, but he should have a better shot at playing time early in 2025 in the Bay Area. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will miss at least the first four games (and possibly more), while Jauan Jennings (calf) is also up in the air for Week 1 against Seattle. MVS has never had more than 42 catches, 690 yards or six touchdowns in a single season, though, and most likely will just give San Fran an extra body for receiver depth.

Thursday, August 28, 6:31 PM

The San Francisco 49ers re-signed wide receiver Russell Gage Jr. (knee) to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday and released safety Richie Grant in a corresponding move, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Gage, who did not practice with the team on Thursday due to a knee injury, returns to the team after being released on cutdown day on Tuesday. The return of the 29-year-old speaks to how beat up their receiving room is right now with the Week 1 regular-season opener just over a week away. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is on the PUP list, and Jauan Jennings (calf) and rookie Jordan Watkins (ankle) are up in the air to be ready on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. If both Jennings and Watkins are unavailable for the season opener, it's possible that Gage will be forced into a starting role early on.