SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For most of the past month, whenever San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall stepped into position drills during practice, he was unsure who would join him.

Such is life as a Niners receiver this summer when the only constant has been a steady stream of change. From July 18, a few days before the start of camp, through Sunday evening, the team has made 18 transactions at receiver, a mix of signings, releases, placing players on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list and even a trade.

“It’s just definitely not normal,” Pearsall said. “It is definitely different and we all know that, but that’s OK. It’s not always going to be the same. … We can sit there and be like, ‘OK, we’re short of numbers and we can complain about it or we can put our heads down and go to work.'”

For most of this training camp, Pearsall and veteran Demarcus Robinson have been the only two of the team’s six top wideouts to participate in practice more often than not. Brandon Aiyuk (knee, PUP list), Jauan Jennings (calf/contract), Jordan Watkins (high ankle sprain) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) have participated to varying degrees, though of that quartet, only Watkins has practiced for any extended time.

Beyond the injuries, Robinson is facing a three-game suspension to open the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge.

Also, because of a lack of depth at running back behind starter Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers traded for Brian Robinson Jr. last week.

All of this change leaves the Niners with plenty of questions on offense as Tuesday’s deadline to trim down to the initial 53-man roster approaches. Here are some of the most pressing questions:

How is Aiyuk progressing?

All signs point to Aiyuk missing at least the first four games of the season, which likely means his stint on the PUP list will continue beyond Tuesday, and he will be given the reserve/PUP designation. Under that classification, Aiyuk would not be eligible to return until Week 5, at which point the 49ers would have to decide whether he’s ready to be activated or placed on injured reserve.

None of the 49ers’ first four opponents — at the Seattle Seahawks, at New Orleans Saints, vs. Arizona Cardinals and vs. Jacksonville Jaguars — made the postseason last year, but Seattle and Arizona beat the Niners in 2024.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan has said that the loose timeline for Aiyuk’s return is Week 6, when the team is scheduled to play at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it would be almost a year since Aiyuk suffered the torn ACL and MCL in his right knee against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 of last season.

The complexity of Aiyuk’s injury has made it difficult to nail down a return. In the meantime, Aiyuk has been around the team throughout camp, offering pointers to the young wideouts and insights to receivers coach Leonard Hankerson.

“He’s been great as a coach,” Hankerson said. “He knows the exact coaching points that we preach, that we talk every single day. And that’s the same thing he does as a coach himself right now; he’s relaying the message. … I admire what he’s doing.”

Still, the sooner the Niners get Aiyuk back, the sooner he can deliver on the four-year, $120 million extension he signed last season after a tumultuous negotiation and hold-in during which he was nearly traded multiple times. Despite that, Aiyuk continued to come up in trade rumors in the offseason and he could have been on the move if not for his knee injury.

With $26.15 million of his 2026 compensation becoming fully guaranteed April 1 of this year, the best scenario for all parties is for him to get healthy and produce near the levels of his 2023 breakout season.

What’s going on with Jennings?

In many ways, what happens with Jennings will be the most telling in how the Niners’ receiver room shapes up to begin the season. Entering the final season of the two-year contract extension he signed in 2024, he’s scheduled to count $4.258 million against this year’s cap with more than $8 million in dead money remaining from lingering void years.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in mid-July that Jennings would like a lucrative contract extension or, barring that, a trade. Despite that, Jennings reported to camp on time and participated in the first four practices of camp before dealing with a calf issue.

Jennings has not practiced since or commented publicly on the injury or his contract situation. To this point, there has been no formal trade request. According to Shanahan, the clock is ticking for Jennings to get back to practice if he’s going to play in Week 1.

“I mean, if it doesn’t heal, yes [he could miss it], but I expect him to be back,” Shanahan said. “I think he should be back from it, but you never know with calves.”

If healthy and happy, Jennings would be the team’s No. 1 wideout against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7.

Already heavily invested at the position financially and via the draft, the Niners have not found common ground on a contract with Jennings, who reportedly wants a deal worth in excess of $20 million per season. The Niners seem content to let Jennings play out the final season of his current deal.

The Niners could add some incentives to Jennings’ deal for this season, allowing him to start the season as the team’s top wideout and, potentially, cash in as a free agent in the offseason.

How will the rest of the WR room shake out?

Much will depend on Jennings’ situation, but there’s a strong likelihood that the Niners will be without Aiyuk, Cowing, Watkins and Robinson in Week 1. They can put Aiyuk on the reserve/PUP list, Robinson on the reserve/suspended list and then have two spots at their disposal.

Based on the timelines, Cowing is a candidate for one of those designations, and Watkins would likely occupy a roster spot because his return is expected sooner than Cowing’s. Additionally, veteran Russell Gage Jr., who had a solid camp, has been out because of a knee issue, but is expected back soon, which would position him to remain on the initial 53-man roster, as well.

In the most likely best-case scenario, the Niners would enter Week 1 with a group led by Jennings, Pearsall, Gage, Watkins and Skyy Moore, whom they acquired from the Chiefs last week. Moore is the most likely receiver to handle return duties.

The Niners’ receiver injuries have left plenty of uncertainty entering the season, but the team hopes those players can return to full strength by midseason. At that point, the 49ers could have a group featuring Aiyuk, Jennings, Pearsall, Robinson, Watkins and Cowing.

“I’m all for guys getting a little ding and taking time to really recover because we’re going to need ’em Week 1,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “We’re going to still be able to get those guys back in some capacity.”

How will Brian Robinson Jr. fit in at running back?

Shanahan was firm about Robinson’s expected role after San Francisco sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Washington Commanders for him last week.

“We brought him here to be our [No.] 2 back,” Shanahan said. “I’ve always been a big fan of Brian. Loved him coming out of college. … We were pumped that he was available and pumped that we were able to get him.”

McCaffrey will remain the focal point of San Francisco’s running game, but Robinson provides an experienced backup who could offer some value in short-yardage situations.

In 2024, Robinson was third in the league on a third or fourth down of 3 or fewer yards (7.8 yards per carry), though the sample size was just 14 attempts.

The 49ers, meanwhile, were 18th in the league in those situations, averaging 3.2 yards per rush.

Isaac Guerendo has struggled to stay healthy. Though he just got back from a shoulder injury, he had a pair of fumbles in a recent practice and is more likely to have an early-season spot on various special teams units.