The 49ers added a veteran wide receiver Tuesday, signing 28-year-old free agent Anthony Miller while waiving wideout Dazz Newsome.
Miller is something of an injury risk gamble for the Niners, as he has played in just three games the past two seasons for the Houston Texans (two games) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (one game). A 2018 second-round pick, Miller’s most productive seasons came from 2018-20, when he racked up 134 catches for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Listed at 5-foot-11, 199 pounds, Miller was known for his speed before shoulder injuries derailed his past two seasons.
“I remember studying him out of college,” Shanahan said Tuesday. “There were good things coming out of college and with the Bears he did some good things. We had a workout with guys – I didn’t go out to it – and he was the most impressive out of the four people, maybe three. He’s a guy that we were big fans of coming out of college.”
Miller suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason last year with the Steelers and didn’t appear in a game. Though he signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in January, the squad released him in June.
Shoulder injuries have been a big problem for Miller throughout his career, dating back to his college career in 2014 at Memphis and recurring in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Though it’s been three years since Miller played consistently, Shanahan is hopeful Miller can contribute a vertical threat to the offense.
“It’s extremely important you have some people with that 40 time,” Shanahan said. “People know when you don’t and it changes a lot of stuff.”
Beyond Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, it seems like rookie Ronnie Bell and veteran Chris Conley have the inside track on making the 53-man roster while Ray-Ray McCloud (wrist surgery) and Danny Gray (shoulder) deal with injuries. The coaching staff will have to see how Miller performs while competing with rookie Tay Martin and veteran Willie Snead IV for reps on the depth chart.
