Getty
Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson during Super Bowl LIV.
Multiple Kansas City Chiefs cast-offs at wide receiver are lined up for some major playing time tomorrow night on Thursday Night Football, as the San Francisco 49ers attempt to weather a wild rash of injury news.
Per NFL insider Ari Meirov, the 49ers are expected to start their Week 5 outing with some combination of Demarcus Robinson, Kendrick Bourne, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Russell Gage at wide receiver. They’re also being forced to turn to backup quarterback Mac Jones with Brock Purdy ruled out.
Among the other unavailable 49ers are wide receivers Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, rookie Jordan Watkins, and Brandon Aiyuk (IR). Not to mention superstar tight end George Kittle.
Needless to say, San Francisco is hurting pretty badly right now, and the three ex-Chiefs cast-offs (Robinson, Valdes-Scantling, and Moore) may be their only hope as they attempt to eek out a win over the division rival Los Angeles Rams.
49ers’ TNF Injury Mess at Wide Receiver Sparks Patrick Mahomes Joke
The irony here is that for most quarterbacks, this sets up as a disaster, but for Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, it feels like any given season.
A-to-Z Sports Kansas City reporter Charles Goldman was the first to point that out on October 1, joking: “Patrick Mahomes could win a Super Bowl with this group.”
Now, Goldman used the word “could” because Mahomes has never played with this specific cast of wide receivers in its entirety, but the funny part is that he actually has won a Super Bowl with each of the aforementioned cast-offs.
Robinson was with KC for Super Bowl LIV, which was played against the 49ers. Although the former fourth-round draft pick failed to log a catch in that outing, he did record 3 catches for 35 yards during the 2019-20 playoff run.
Robinson was also with the Chiefs for Super Bowl LV loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, contributing 1 reception for 11 yards.
Moore is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, but he only suited up for one of the two title games. Appearing on just 14 offensive snaps against the Philadelphia Eagles in February of 2023, Moore caught a key 4-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes.
Finally, Valdes-Scantling had arguably the most impactful playoff run with KC of the trio in 2022-23, despite being shut out against the Eagles. In the AFC Championship game that year, “MVS” posted 6 receptions for 116 yards and 1 touchdown. He also had a touchdown catch in the previous round.
Like Moore, Valdes-Scantling then won a second Super Bowl ring with KC in 2023-24, except he played in the game — which was a 49ers rematch. MVS registered 3 catches for 20 yards and 1 touchdown during his second championship performance.
Chiefs Fans Have More Reason to Watch Thursday Night Football After WR News
Robinson and Valdes-Scantling have had their moments, but none of these three ex-wideouts has achieved the level of team success that they did with Kansas City since leaving town.
Moore is the most recent departure, so this will only be his fifth appearance as a 49er. The failed second-round pick has 1 catch for 10 yards so far in San Francisco, and has mostly returned kickoffs and punts.
Then there’s Valdes-Scantling, whose career has really taken a downward turn outside of a few big games with the New Orleans Saints in 2024.
Robinson has been the most successful away from the Chiefs, and put together a career year with the Rams in 2024 (31 receptions for 505 yards and 7 touchdowns). The 31-year-old was suspended to start the 2025 campaign, and Week 4 was his first appearance with San Francisco.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. Michael is an NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate. More about Michael Obermuller
