The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent wide receiver Trent Taylor to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday. It will be a reunion between the two sides after the Niners selected Taylor in the fifth round (177th overall) in 2017 out of Louisiana Tech. The 29-year-old pass-catcher spent the first three years of his NFL career in the Bay Area before two years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He went catchless on two targets in 17 games (zero starts) for the Chicago Bears in 2023. Taylor is most likely to pitch in on special teams for the 49ers after Ray-Ray McCloud III left in free agency this offseason. In his six NFL seasons, Taylor has 87 receptions on 137 targets for 834 yards and three touchdowns, with most of the production coming in his first two seasons with the 49ers.
The Chicago Bears are signing wide receiver/punt returner Trent Taylor, who was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, to their 53-man roster on Wednesday, according to a source. The Bears also claimed defensive end Khalid Kareem off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts and defensive back Quindell Johnson from the Los Angeles Rams and cut defensive end Terrell Lewis. Taylor will serve as a return option and as receiver depth for the Bears to open the 2023 regular season. The 29-year-old had 340 yards on punt returns in 2022 in Cincinnati. He's not on the fantasy radar.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Trent Taylor and Trenton Irwin have competition this summer in rookie Charlie Jones, who was taken in the fourth round of this year's draft. Jones is a younger, faster slot receiver with return abilities. The Athletic's Jay Morrison writes that it feels as though there will be only one spot for a guy with the skill set that Taylor and Jones share. Irwin is the current backup to Tyler Boyd in the slot, but he'll have to hold off Jones to keep that role. Irwin may have bought himself some time by stepping up in the middle of last year when Ja'Marr Chase missed four games with an injury. But as the team's WR4, there isn't much wiggle room for Irwin if Jones really impresses the coaching staff in training camp.
The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed punt returner/wide receiver Trent Taylor to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, according to a source. Taylor was third in the NFL in punt-return average and fourth in total punt-return yards in 2022. The 28-year-old wasn't much of a factor on offense, though, in the last two years for Cincinnati, catching eight of his 13 targets for 103 yards and no touchdowns in 20 games (one start). He spent the first three years of his career with the San Francisco Giants, catching 79 passes for 731 yards and three touchdowns in 41 games played (two starts). Taylor will continue to be a non-factor in fantasy leagues.
Trent Taylor, Mike Daniels Elevated To Active Roster
The Cincinnati Bengals elevated wide receiver Trent Taylor and defensive tackle Mike Daniels (groin) from the practice squad to the active roster in time to play in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Taylor had only two catches for 41 yards all season long in four games, with all of his production coming in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns. He's played just one offensive snap in three postseason games and primarily serves as the team's punt returner. Daniels played in just two regular season games in 2021 and was injured in the wild-card win in the first round of the playoffs over the Las Vegas Raiders. Having Daniels active will give Cincy's defensive line some additional depth as they attempt to slow down the Rams offense.
The Cincinnati Bengals signed former San Francisco 49ers slot receiver and punt returner Trent Taylor to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to a source. Taylor is a good fit with Cincinnati, who lost slot receiver/punt returner Alex Erickson in free agency this offseason. Taylor, 27, caught 10 of his 21 targets for 86 yards and no touchdowns in 12 games (one start) for the 49ers last season. The fifth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech in 2017 by the 49ers caught 79 passes on 122 targets for 731 yards and three touchdowns in his three seasons with the team over 41 games (two starts). With Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, Auden Tate and rookie Ja'Marr Chase in the fold, Taylor will be providing receiving depth, so don't expect much in terms of fantasy value.
The San Francisco 49ers placed wide receiver Trent Taylor on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday and signed wide receiver Jordan Matthews to the practice squad in a corresponding move. Taylor is now likely to miss the Week 16 game against the Cardinals on Saturday, even if he was just deemed a high-risk close contact of someone else who tested positive for the virus. The 26-year-old hasn't taken advantage of injuries to the team's receiving corps this year, catching just 10 passes on 21 targets for 86 yards in 12 games (one start). With Deebo Samuel out for the rest of the season, Richie James Jr. and Kendrick Bourne will continue to work in three-wide sets alongside rookie first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk is the only one worth trusting in fantasy lineups with titles on the line this weekend.
Trent Taylor, River Cracraft Questionable Against Saints
San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Trent Taylor (back) and River Cracraft (quadriceps) are both listed as questionable for Week 10 against the Saints. Even with rookie Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel not playing in Week 9, Taylor had a mere one catch for nine yards on four targets in the blowout loss to the Packers. The Louisiana Tech product has just 10 receptions for 86 yards in nine games this season. Cracraft has spent most of the year on the practice squad but caught two of his five targets for 13 yards last week. Neither Taylor nor Cracraft are fantasy material if they play this weekend, even with Samuel out until at least Week 12. Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne and Richie James Jr. should operate in three-receiver sets against New Orleans.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor had a disappointing showing against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. Taylor caught just one of his four targets for nine yards in the game. Richie James was the 49ers receiver who stepped up big this week, catching nine of his 13 targets for 184 yards and a score. The missed opportunity for Taylor should prompt fantasy owners to drop him wherever he's owned. The next time the 49ers step onto the field, they will likely have many of their top receivers back in action, relegating Taylor to an even smaller role than he had this week.
Trent Taylor Should See Targets Increase In Week 9
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor is the last man standing amidst the 49ers receiving corps as the team heads into their Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers. The team will be without Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Kendrick Bourne (COVID) and Brandon Aiyuk (COVID) in the game. They also won't have star tight end George Kittle (foot). Taylor saw five targets in Week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks and came down with three catches for 32 yards. This week, he could find himself with eight or more targets due to the team's lack of alternatives. Taylor and tight ends Jordan Reed and Ross Dwelley figure to get the most looks from quarterback Nick Mullens in the game. Taylor can be considered as a risky WR3 or flex play this week.
