If the NFL is going to suspend 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for part of this 2025 season, the stage is now set for that punishment to be administered.
Robinson was arrested on suspicion of DUI while still playing for the Los Angeles Rams last November. His case has finished its course through the legal system. According to court records, Robinson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge. He received 36 months of probation, must pay a $390 fine and complete diversion programs. His attorney, Jacqueline Sparagna, told TMZ that Robinson has already completed most terms of his probation and that she expects his probation terminated early — after the 18-month mark.
The NFL, under the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies, conducts its own investigations and levies punishments independent of the legal system. Resolutions of court matters typically clear the path for the league to also wrap up its adjudications, so the 49ers may soon know if Robinson will be unavailable to begin the 2025 season. Based on past cases, a suspension of up to three games appears possible for Robinson.
Rams general manager Les Snead cited this possibility in March when explaining why L.A. wouldn’t re-sign Robinson. Snead said the receiver had “some things to work through legally” that could “prevent play time in the future.” The 49ers then signed Robinson to a two-year contract worth $8 million.
Of course, 49ers general manager John Lynch was also aware of a potential suspension when his team made the move. He and coach Kyle Shanahan believe that the 49ers offense, helmed by quarterback Brock Purdy, can weather Robinson’s possible absence. But that confidence doesn’t make the team’s situation at receiver any less uncertain as the 2025 season approaches.
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The 49ers have traded Deebo Samuel to Washington. Star wideout Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from ACL and MCL tears that ended his 2024 season. Although the 49ers are pleased with Aiyuk’s recovery, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season. And if Robinson is also out, the 49ers will have multiple spots to fill.
“There’s opportunity out there,” Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area last month. “We’ll have a have a gift when BA comes back, whenever that is. But we’re comfortable and confident in their ability to get the job done until that time.”
Veteran Jauan Jennings leads the unit. He filled in for Aiyuk at the top “X” receiver position last year and nearly eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards. Second-year man Ricky Pearsall will have to graduate into a featured role. In a promising sign, Pearsall finished his rookie season with 14 catches over the final two games.
Beyond that, uncertainty abounds. Second-year speedster Jacob Cowing, who weighed only 168 pounds to begin his rookie year, has added muscle and is therefore a serious contender for more playing time.
“Jacob, I thought put in some of the most work of anyone over the offseason,” Shanahan said in May. “Just as far as doing it before Phase 1 started and then continuing it through 2 and 3. And I think it’s really transferred over into [spring practice work].”
But rookie Jordan Watkins, a fourth-round draft pick, is similarly fast and should compete directly with Cowing for the “burner” role in Shanahan’s offense. Watkins also caught several passes in the spring. Like Cowing, he’ll have to prove he can defeat the challenge of physical coverage once contact is legal during training camp.
That’s where the 49ers aren’t in the least bit worried about Robinson, a 30-year-old veteran who’s coming off his most productive season — a 505-yard campaign for the Rams. Lynch is certain they’ll have a physically capable, stabilizing weapon when Robinson is available to suit up for the 49ers. Robinson played a solid chunk of 2024 at the “X” spot for the Rams, a huge selling point for a 49ers team looking to find a temporary fill in for Aiyuk at a position that demands real run-blocking prowess.
“You play against someone for a long time, but then in person, you’re like, ‘Man, this guy’s bigger than I thought,'” Lynch said of the 6-1, 203-pound Robinson. “He kind of looks like a defensive end out there. But he fits what we do really well.”
Still, adding raw speed figures to be of paramount importance for the 49ers. In 2024, they finished dead last — No. 32 — of all teams in average separation at the time of catch or incompletion, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
The 49ers had finished No. 11 in 2023, a year which saw them field the league’s top-ranked offense. Though much of 2024’s struggles in this department could be pinned on injuries to Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey, it was still clear that the 49ers could use more explosiveness to stretch the field — and that’s precisely where Cowing and Watkins, even with their smaller frames, have a chance to make significant contributions.
A group of larger-bodied receivers might also have opportunities to earn back-end spots on the 49ers’ 53-man roster. That includes 6-foot-3 Terique Owens, the son of Hall of Fame wideout Terrell Owens who spent 2024 on the practice squad, and 6-foot-4 Isaiah Neyor, an undrafted signee who’s one of the best athletes in the entire 2025 rookie class. Both players must demonstrate NFL-level consistency to make it. Isaiah Hodgins, Russell Gage, and Malik Knowles are also set to compete with them at receiver.
Then there’s the case of Junior Bergen, the 49ers’ final pick this spring. Shanahan openly said that the 5-foot-9 Bergen — who returned eight punts (an FCS record) for touchdowns at Montana — has a much better chance of making the team as a specialist than as a receiver. But a roster spot is a roster spot, no matter the player’s specific role, and if Bergen impresses the 49ers enough as a returner, it’s easy to see them bumping a receiver out of the 53-man or practice squad mix to make room.
In many ways, this is lining up as a free-for-all in a 49ers’ receiving room that had seen a relatively opposite setup in recent seasons. For years, Aiyuk, Samuel, and Jennings had a firm hold on the top three spots. But there’s much more in flux now, and the domino effect of potential absences at the top of the pecking order should have a trickle-down effect on multiple job openings.
It’s never wise to expect transformative contributions from rookies, but the 49ers’ chances of success might hinge on what they get from their second-year wideouts who already have some in-game experience under their belts.
That puts the brightest spotlights on Pearsall and Cowing, a pair of Arizona natives who also traveled from the desert to Jacksonville this offseason to put in dedicated work with Purdy and backup 49ers QB Mac Jones.
“Jacob and Ricky were kind of workout partners,” Lynch said. “They attacked this offseason in a very impressive way. Jacob’s got a lot of speed, a lot of quickness, and he’s put in the work. When you put in the work and you’re that talented, you have a chance.
“Ricky is a really ascending player. We’re excited about him. He’s just scratched the surface of who he could be. Ricky’s going to play well for us this year, I’m confident in that. He’s going to seize that opportunity.”