The San Francisco 49ers are keeping their eyes open on potential wide receiver options on the free agency market.
Shortly after the 49ers brought Deebo Samuel back after he spent one season with the Washington Commanders, San Francisco hosted veteran wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones for a workout on Wednesday. The 27-year-old receiver is best known for his tenure with the Cleveland Browns (2020-2023), with his best year coming in 2022 when he hauled in 61 catches for 839 yards and three touchdowns.
Peoples-Jones wasn’t the only wide receiver that the 49ers hosted as they also had KhaDarel Hodge and Kristian Wilkerson in for workouts. The 49ers signed the 31-year-old Hodge, as NFL insider David Lombardi noted.
“Unclear if the 49ers intend to sign another WR after KhaDarel Hodge, but they did also work out Donovan Peoples-Jones and Kristian Wilkerson,” said Lombardi. “Peoples-Jones had a productive 839-yard season with Cleveland in 2022 but hasn’t been productive since. However, he’s still just 27.”
Donovan Peoples-Jones Last Played in NFL During 2023 Season
Peoples-Jones hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2023 season when he was flipped from the Browns to the Detroit Lions before the trade deadline. He spent the 2024 season on the Lions’ practice squad after he was cut prior to the final roster cutdown. He was also cut by the New Orleans Saints prior to the start of the 2025 season.
The 49ers have had a number of injuries to their wide receivers early on in training camp, losing Ricky Pearsall for the season due to a knee issue. Meanwhile, Mike Evans and De’Zhaun Stribling have been sidelined due to their own injuries.
Over the course of his four-year NFL career, Peoples-Jones holds career numbers of 122 catches for 1,895 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
49ers Sign KhaDarel Hodge Amid Wide Receiver Injuries
As mentioned before, the 49ers did sign a wide receiver from those workouts, opting to go with Hodge. Hodge entered the NFL in 2018 and was actually named a Pro Bowler as a special teamer at the conclusion of the 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons. Hodge has had stints with the Los Angeles Rams, Browns and Lions with his best receiving season being in 2023 when he caught 23 balls for 232 yards.
During his eight seasons in the NFL, Hodge holds career numbers of 122 catches for 1,026 yards and two touchdowns. Two of his years with the Falcons were under Raheem Morris when he was the head coach in Atlanta. Morris is now the defensive coordinator of the 49ers.
As mentioned earlier, Samuel is back with the 49ers amid all their injuries at the position. The 30-year-old was a fan favorite in San Francisco and helped lead the team to two Super Bowl appearances. He was named a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro selection during the 2021 season when he turned in a banner year: 77 catches for 1,405 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also turned in 365 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, the most ever for a player at his position.
Samuel isn’t surprised at all over his return to San Francisco.
“It kind of felt like I didn’t even go nowhere, to be honest,” Samuel said, via ESPN. “When I got back, I was just like, ‘Well, I know what’s going on. I know the people here. Staff still the same.’ So it’s kind of like the same for real. Conversations with me, John and Kyle have just always kind of been the same,” Samuel said. “It was just a matter of time before it happened.”
With Pearsall out for the season, Samuel — along with Evans and Christian Kirk — is expected to be one of San Francisco’s top receivers this season.
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