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Former first round pick and Hornung Award winner Tavon Austin will sign with the San Francisco 49ers, pending a physical, according to Adam Schefter. Tavon, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has struggled to find consistent playing time and numbers. Despite being a nearly untouchable player in college, the electricity that defined Austin hasn’t been found in the NFL.
49ers plan to sign veteran WRs J.J. Nelson and Tavon Austin, pending physicals, per league source. Added depth in an area in which Deebo Samuel is likely to miss the start of the season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2020
Austin’s best season came during the 2015 and 2016 seasons where he caught 110 passes for 982 yards and 8 touchdowns over 31 games. Those two seasons represent nearly half of his career totals of 215 receptions, 2,006 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The 49ers are short at the wide receiver position following Travis Benjamin’s decision to opt out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Deebo Samuel and Richie James are currently on the non-football injury list after sustaining injuries during the off-season. Samuel is expected to miss regular season time after breaking his foot in June.
If Austin can somehow find a resurgence in his eighth season, perhaps we can get one more look at the player who inspired the greatest Youtube highlight reel ever.