Who Should I Start? Russell Gage Jr. or Trenton Irwin

Saturday, September 6, 4:32 PM

The San Francisco 49ers have elevated veteran wide receiver Russell Gage Jr. from the practice squad, meaning he will see his first game action since 2022. Gage missed the past two seasons after suffering a torn patellar tendon, but was previously a reliable WR3 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady. The 49ers' receiver room is in shambles, with Brandon Aiyuk, Jacob Cowing, and Demarcus Robinson all sidelined. Gage has a chance to see the field in Week 1 as he's expected to serve as the team's WR5 and play limited snaps if needed. While fantasy production isn't likely, simply seeing Gage back on the field after such a long recovery is a great story and an encouraging sign for San Francisco's depth moving forward.

Wednesday, June 4, 6:27 PM

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free-agent wide receiver Trenton Irwin to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, according to KPRC 2 Sports' Aaron Wilson. Irwin will head to the AFC South after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. The 29-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Stanford debuted in 2019 and has a total of 46 catches for 601 yards and five touchdowns on 72 targets in 41 games (nine starts) over his six seasons. In seven games (two starts) in his final season in Cincy, he had three receptions for 15 yards. Irwin won't be guaranteed a 53-man roster spot heading into the 2025 regular season and therefore must impress the coaching staff during training camp and the preseason. He'll be competing for a depth role behind Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, and rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter.