Getty The San Francisco 49ers have once again released receiver Jordan Matthews.
The San Francisco 49ers have once again released veteran wide receiver Jordan Matthews which by our count is the fourth time the team has cut the wideout. Matthews had three stints with the team in 2019 going all the way back to last March when he signed a one-year deal with the Niners, per 49ersWebZone.com.
The receiver was released prior to the start of last season as San Francisco finalized their 53-man roster. Matthews was signed again in October 2019 only to be released less than a month later. The Niners signed Matthews again on December 11 but did not retain him prior to free agency.
This season, San Francisco signed Matthews on November 27, but the wide receiver did not even manage to make it on the roster for two weeks. The 49ers released Matthews on December 8 marking his fourth time being cut by the franchise. Matthews was added as the team’s receivers have battled injuries throughout the season.
The Eagles Selected Matthews in the Second Round of the 2014 NFL Draft
For all the paperwork, Matthews has only played one game for the Niners in 2019 and has not recorded a reception in a San Francisco uniform. Despite his revolving door tenure with the 49ers, Matthews is best known for his five seasons with the Eagles. Philly traded up in the 2014 NFL Draft to select the receiver with the No. 42 overall pick.
Matthews started out his NFL career with promise notching more than 800 yards in each of his first three seasons. The receiver had 872 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie season in Philadelphia. Matthews followed it up with his best NFL season with 997 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2015. The receiver has not crossed the 300 receiving yards mark since 2016.
It is the end (for now) of the receiver’s odd tenure with the 49ers. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan praised Matthews last season as a veteran wideout with all the physical tools to succeed.
“With Jordan, the best thing is how much he’s played,” Shanahan noted in October 2019, per 49ersWebZone.com. “He’s played a lot of football, he’s a very reliable guy, we don’t mind putting him in there at any position. The game’s not too big for him. He plays very physical, he’s a big guy, he can run also, he’s got good hands. We usually play him at the Z position, but if anyone goes down, even Jordan only being here two weeks, he’s mastered the offense in the offseason. He knows all the positions and gives us a lot of versatility.”
Deebo Samuel Is Dealing With a New Injury
Deebo Samuel has been the Niners’ top receiving option this season but has had trouble staying on the field. Shanahan revealed that Samuel is dealing with a new injury heading into Week 14. The 49ers held Samuel out of practice early in the week, but it does not sound like the receiver will be sidelined on gameday. The injury does not appear to be related to Samuel’s previous health issues.
“No, he just took a knee on the foot, so not related, but too sore today to go,” Shanahan explained, per 49ersWebZone.com. “I bet if it was a Wednesday, he’d probably be able to go, but to us it’s a Tuesday.”
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