With no sign of a resolution to the Brandon Aiyuk contract dispute in sight, the San Francisco 49ers have done their due diligence and signed former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. The 2021 second-round pick from LSU fell victim to the NFL’s Cutdown Day, a deadline after the preseason when each team must trim its roster to 53 players.

In three seasons, Marshall Jr. has caught just 64 passes for 767 yards and one touchdown. Since he’s now a backup player in the 49ers’ lineup, it’s unlikely Marshall Jr. will play much unless Aiyuk refuses to play this year.

With Bryce Young at quarterback in Carolina, Marshall Jr. was no longer a good fit for their style of play. A prototypical “X” receiver with above-average size and speed, the Panthers prefer to play the pass underneath. Young’s 5.5 yards per attempt (YPA) and 4.5 adjusted yards per attempt (AY/A) were outside the top 30 among all quarterbacks. Marshall would be best used in the intermediate passing game, which is the 49ers’ specialty.

Terrace Marshall Jr.’s second chance with the 49ers

If you look at the 49ers’ No. 3 and 4 receivers, Jauan Jennings (6’3, 215 lbs) and Chris Conley (6’2, 215 lbs), both have similar builds to Marshall Jr. That’s because the 49ers’ passing game is forward-focused. Brock Purdy led the NFL with 9.6 YPA and 9.3 AY/A. Purdy may not be known for his strong arm, but that’s the advantage of playing in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

While it’s unlikely the 49ers will make a last-minute trade and send Aiyuk away, they have one last chance with Marshall, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. There are countless examples of teams that have tried their luck with players on rookie contracts, like Mac Jones in Jacksonville, Justin Fields in Pittsburgh or Zach Wilson in Denver.

Although the 49ers will be without Aiyuk and OT Trent Williams, another of their best players, to begin the season, their Week 1 opponent doesn’t think so. New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh expects both to play in their Monday Night Football game to open the season.

“I fully expect those two to play,” Saleh said. “I fully expect Trent Williams to come out with his newly signed contract and still be his All-Pro self, I’m sure, and Aiyuk will be there for sure, but yeah, you have to keep an eye on them, more from the side. Right now, everything is focused on them and them alone. I’m telling you, with or without them, they’re still a championship squad, and they’ve got some guys on their roster. It’s going to be a fun game, a great challenge.

The 49ers have a few days to put together their roster for a full week of practice.