Who Should I Start? Trent Taylor or Mecole Hardman

Wednesday, June 4, 6:35 PM

The San Francisco 49ers announced on Tuesday that they placed wide receiver Trent Taylor (undisclosed) on Injured Reserve and signed receiver Malik Knowles to an undisclosed one-year deal in a corresponding move. It's unclear exactly what Taylor's injury is, but he's now expected to miss the entire 2025 season. The 31-year-old former fifth-round pick (177th overall) in 2017 out of Louisiana Tech spent the first three years of his career in the Bay Area before going to the Cincinnati Bengals for two years and the Chicago Bears in 2023. In just two games in his return to the Niners last season, Taylor caught his only target for an 11-yard pickup. Taylor has been a depth piece in his career and has a total of 88 receptions for 845 yards and only three touchdowns on 138 targets over 80 games played (three starts) since debuting in 2017.

Sunday, November 16, 3:59 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mecole Hardman (calf) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's Week 11 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finishes the game with just one target and zero catches on offense, plus a 61-yard kick return on special teams. However, he also had a zero-yard punt return that resulted in a lost fumble; this is the play where Hardman suffered his injury. Ray Davis and Curtis Samuel will likely handle return duties in his absence.