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The 49ers Are Making A Change At Wide Receiver

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 3:45 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers exchanged wide receivers on Tuesday.

San Francisco signed Equanimeous St. Brown, clearing room on the roster by releasing Andy Isabella.

St. Brown has caught 63 of 110 targets for 928 yards and two touchdowns in 62 career NFL games. The 2018 sixth-round pick played three seasons with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Chicago Bears in 2022.

The older brother of Detroit Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown tallied a career-high 377 scrimmage yards for the Chicago Bears in 2023. He scored his lone touchdown in a Week 1 win over San Francisco and a season-high 85 receiving yards against Green Bay.

St. Brown caught just five passes the following year, and he didn't garner a single target in two games with the New Orleans Saints last season. The 49ers signed him on July 22 but released him last Thursday.

The 28-year-old quickly re-joined the team at Isabella's expense.

Isabella garnered a second-round pick in 2019, but he hasn't tallied an NFL reception since Week 3 of the 2022 season. The speedy 5-foot-9 receiver registered 422 of his 457 career yards in his first two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

Isabella ended the 2022 campaign with the Baltimore Ravens, who released him the following summer. He spent most of 2023 on the Buffalo Bills' practice squad, taking special-teams snaps in two games, and had a brief stint on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad last year.

The 49ers signed Isabella when they released St. Brown last week. They reversed that transaction after some training camp activity.

San Francisco needs new wide receivers to step up after trading Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. The position is banged up this summer.

Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a season-ending knee injury. Ricky Pearsall missed the start of camp with a hamstring issue, and Jauan Jennings left Sunday's practice with a calf injury. Those pass-catchers will also play an essential role in helping the newly extended Brock Purdy lead a bounce-back campaign in the Bay Area.

The 49ers play their first preseason game this Saturday night against the Denver Broncos and open the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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