The injury news keeps coming for the 49ers. A day after reports surfaced that wide receiver Deebo Samuel broke his foot, NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported wide receiver Richie James Jr. broke his wrist while training and is set to miss at least two months.
James was a seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft and found a consistent role on the 49ers as a kick and punt returner. His production as a receiver has been less consistent. He has only 15 catches in 29 games, but he’s turned those receptions into 295 yards and two touchdowns.
Part of the reason James slid so far in the draft after a productive career at Middle Tennessee State was his slight build at 5-9, 185 pounds. He’s been relatively injury-free to this point though, and a wrist injury shouldn’t wind up affecting him much once he’s back on the field.
James is one of the 49ers’ most explosive athletes, and his role as a pass catcher could expand this year while the team tries to find more consistently productive members of their receiving corps. That’s especially true if Samuel winds up missing any regular season games.
The good news is a two-month timeframe puts James back in action by mid-August, which gives him almost a month to work back in before the start of the regular season. The bad news for James is the battle for roster spots at receiver is going to be very competitive, so any missed time is going to make it more difficult for him to retain his spot.