The San Francisco 49ers have a potential problem lingering with their receiving corps, and it was underscored in a list of every team’s top QB-WR/TE duos created by Pro Football Focus.
San Francisco’s duo features tight end George Kittle paired with quarterback Brock Purdy. They landed at No. 14 on the list. The 49ers are one of only three teams with a tight end listed alongside the QB, joining the Arizona Cardinals (No. 17) and the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 20).
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It’s not a great sign for the 49ers’ passing game that they don’t have a receiver worthy of making the list. Brandon Aiyuk’s knee injury continues leaving a sizable question mark over his potential contributions in 2025.
Last year’s first-round pick Ricky Pearsall also dealt with injuries in training camp before a gunshot wound he sustained in a robbery attempt the week before the regular season sidelined him for the first six weeks. He had flashes last year, but he’s still a largely unproven commodity.
Jauan Jennings led the team’s WRs last season with 975 yards, but he still profiles as more of a secondary pass-catching option than a primary one.
If the 49ers are going to have a sustainable, championship-caliber passing attack, they’re going to need to find more consistent, legitimate production from their receiving corps.
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On the other hand, part of the reason Kittle is listed with Purdy instead of any of the club’s receivers is that Kittle is still an outstanding player.
Via PFF:
Purdy’s 134.5 passer rating when targeting Kittle over the past two seasons ranks first among the quarterback-receiver duos on this list. They also have more than 2,100 yards together during that time. Purdy and Kittle have established an incredible connection, which has stood true in both high- and low-volume situations.
Kittle has had a career resurgence since Purdy took over as the starting QB. From 2020-22 he didn’t have a 1,000-yard season, but he’s had more than 1,000 in each of Purdy’s full seasons as a starter. He also set a career-high with 11 touchdowns in 2022 thanks in part to seven TDs over the final four weeks of that season with Purdy under center. Those seven touchdowns would’ve been a career-high for a whole season. In 2023 Kittle hauled in six TDs, which tied his previous career-high, and in 2024 he pulled down eight TDs — the second-most in his career.
The 49ers can get by if Kittle continues producing at an All-Pro level. They’ll still need to find production from their receiving corps, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if Kittle is the team’s leading receiver with another 1,000-yard campaign.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers roster: WR issue glaring in PFF list of top QB-pass catcher duos
