49ers Add Ex-Champion Who Was Top WR Prospect

Getty 49ers WR Terrace Marshall

By just about any measure, new 49ers wide receiver Terrace Marshall ought to be an NFL star. But three seasons in Carolina led to a disappointing flame-out that is hardly befitting of his pedigree. The Panthers released him this week, and San Francisco was there to quickly scoop him up and drop him on the practice squad.

Playing for a team that has an intricate offense and some of the best offensive coaching in the NFL, Marshall could get a do-over on his career with the 49ers. Of course, it’s also a team with a deep and talented stable of wide receivers, which could make it difficult for Marshall to see the field.

Still, coach Kyle Shanahan recognizes the possibilities on a 24-year-old who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his school’s pro day back in 2021.

“Excited to get him here on our practice squad,” Shanahan said. “We felt that way with him coming out. We really had him high on our list in college, and to give him the opportunity to come here on practice squad, get a chance to see him. Feel he can help our team out.”

49ers Taking a Chance on High Upside

Marshall was a second-round pick in 2021, after having been part of LSU’s explosive offensive team of five years ago, when Joe Burrow was quarterback and the receiving corps was headlined by Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Marshall. That team won a college football championship, averaging an incredible 401.6 yards per game passing.

Marshall, who was the top receiving prospect in his high school class, took a bigger role with the departure of Jefferson, but did not really break out, catching 46 passes for 671 yards and 48 passes for 731 yards in his sophomore and junior years. There were questions about his work ethic and determination to become a better route-runner.

That all surfaced in his time with the Panthers, during which Marshall struggled to stay healthy and caught a total of just 64 balls for 767 yards and just one touchdown.

Marhsall had permission from the Panthers to seek a trade two years ago, but there was not much of a market for him. The Panthers traded for Diontae Johnson and added Xavier Leggette in the draft this offseason, but the release of Marshall still came as a surprise.

The 49ers had an interest in Marshall in the draft.

Terrace Marshall Struggled With Bad Team

Part of the issue with Marshall was not so much him, but the organization for which he was playing. The Panthers have had four coaches in the last three seasons, a mess of an organization. That has not been helpful for a guy who needs a nudge in the right direction, as Marshall clearly does.

Earlier in camp, new coach Dave Canales gave no indication Marshall was going to be available for the 49ers.

“He’s been reliable,” Canales said, via the Charlotte Post. “He’s doing what we’re asking him to do. He’s running the right routes. You can see that this is a big man with speed in there and I think that the more comfortable he’s getting with our system, with our concepts, the faster he looks.

“I’m really curious to see where he takes that this year. I know he’s had a couple of years here and hasn’t really produced to the potential of what people might think, but hopefully, we’ll create an environment where he’s able to get onto our offense and show us something.”