Getty Marcus Johnson running with the ball.
After spending the summer with the San Francisco 49ers, Marcus Johnson has signed a “maximum veteran deal” with the New York Giants, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
The deal, which is worth “just south of 20k per week” according to Garafolo, will bolster the depth of a Giants squad whose only major addition to the position was Wan’Dale Robinson, who the team controversially drafted in the second round of April’s 2022 NFL draft. The deal also marks the second 49ers wide receiver to swap out his gold helmet for a blue one, as Richie James also signed with the team in free agency and ultimately made the 53-man roster.
Despite coming to San Francisco on a one-year free agent deal following tenures in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Tennessee in April of 2022, Johnson never separated himself from the pack in training camp and ultimately proved redundant once John Lynch drafted Danny Gray in the third round out of SMU a few weeks later.
He amassed just 48 yards on four receptions in the preseason and will now have to hope that an opportunity arises to see an active roster once more, be that in New York, San Francisco, or another team with a need at wide receiver.
Johnson Will Be Remembered for a Fight With Fred Warner
With Johnson’s tenure in San Francisco extensively over, at least for now, his tenure with the team will probably be best remembered for a training camp fight with Fred Warner that saw the fifth-year wide receiver suffer a concussion.
Taking part in an 11-on-11 with full tackling allowed, Warner leveled Johnson with a hit that concussed the University of Texas product and drew the following reaction from Kyle Shanahan, according to Cam Inman of Mercury News.
“I love the intensity of it. I don’t think you have to fight to be intense, though,” Shanahan said during camp. “Scuffles are scuffles, but then they lead to other stuff.
“We have a guy in (concussion) protocol because we took an unnecessary shot on someone, which led to the big fight, and then we had a bunch of haymakers thrown in there, which only break hands.”
The 49ers Still Have Practice Squad WR Depth
With Johnson gone, San Francisco currently has three wide receivers on their practice squad: Willie Snead IV, Malik Turner, and Tay Martin.
Snead IV has the most experience of the group, having appeared in 95 games with 48 starts since making his debut with the New Orleans Saints in 2015. Though he only signed with the team in early August, Snead is a proven veteran who could provide instant offense if the Niners need a receiver on short notice.
Turner, too, is a veteran, as he debuted with the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 and has appeared in 41 games with three starts as a member of the Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Though he isn’t as tenured as Snead and is more of an ‘X’ receiver than a versatile inside-out possession man, he too is an interesting option if Shanahan needs additional size on the perimeter.
Rounding out the group is Martin, an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State who signed with the team in April. Like Turner, Martin is a tall physical target standing at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, but his game is far less developed than either of his fellow practice squad members. Still, with some additional polish and a year to get acclimated to the NFL game, Martin may return in 2023 and turn some heads.