One 49ers Player is Surprisingly Standing Out at Camp

Who would've thought that this unrecognizable player would be standing out at 49ers camp.

Jul 23, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Russell Gage (84) hauls in a pas during the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

One position on the San Francisco 49ers that is easy to predict for final roster cuts is wide receiver.

Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, and Demarcus Robinson are the mainstays at the position.

Six wide receivers are usually enough, so everyone else on the roster is working to put on impressive preseason tape for other teams to pick them up when they're cut.

However, there is one 49ers wide receiver who is surprisingly standing out at training camp -- Russell Gage. He's not lighting it up in practice, but he's doing enough to be noticed.

It's gotten to the point where it's not a far fetched idea for him to make the team, which would be thrilling for him since his NFL career was in flux after tearing his patellar tendon in 2023.

"He’s definitely given himself a chance. I think Russ had a really good offseason," said Kyle Shanahan. "We got him last year to put on our practice squad, and you could see him throughout the whole year working to get his legs back and to get back in receiver shape and be able to handle the cuts after his injuries. I think the way he finished last year was really positive. He put the work in this offseason and I think he's back to being a really good NFL player now and fighting to make this team."

It's always a good sign when Shanahan is giving a player a chance and taking notice. Even Brock Purdy is noticing how well Gage has been performing in camp.

"I think he's done a great job, coming in and learning all of our different details in different positions at receiver in our offense, it's not easy," Purdy said. "I think we sort of asked him to do a lot and he's handled it all pretty well."

The bummer to all of this is that Gage is unlikely to have a role on the 49ers. In fact, he probably won't even make the final roster cuts because the receiver position is cemented.

However, the 49ers will likely place Aiyuk on the reserve/PUP list, which means they can take on another receiver. Gage could end up making the roster until Aiyuk returns.

Plus, other receivers could get hurt, like Pearsall again. It's not like he's been a reliable player with his health. He's still a giant variable if he can hold up.

There's a chance Gage makes the roster, but at the very worst, he gets relegated to the practice squad again.

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