Coach Kyle Shanahan said it is a possibility the 49ers will look at veteran free-agent wide receiver Mohamed Sanu this week.
The 49ers are down to three healthy wide receivers, though Shanahan said he would be surprised if rookie Brandon Aiyuk is not available for the team's game Sunday against the New York Jets.
The 49ers started Kendrick Bourne and Dante Pettis at wide receiver on Sunday in the team's season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Richie James sustained a hamstring injury. His status for this week is uncertain.
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The New England Patriots released Sanu just before the start of the regular season.
"We'll see how these injuries go, but I love Sanu," Shanahan said on Monday. "He's a hell of a player. So him being out there is always a possibility. We'll look into everything we have, though.
"But I wouldn't rule that out at all. He's available, and he's definitely a guy I really respect, and I think everyone in this league respects. So we'll see how it goes this week."
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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers pursued a trade for Sanu, 31, last season at the trade deadline. The Patriots acquired him for a second-round draft pick. In eight games with New England, Sanu caught 26 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown
Instead, the 49ers acquired Emmanuel Sanders in a trade from Denver.
In eight NFL seasons, Sanu has 403 receptions for 4,507 yards and 26 touchdowns. He played one season in Atlanta (2016) when Shanahan was the Falcons' offensive coordinator.