Will we see Marquise Goodwin on the field again?

When San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was inactive against the Arizona Cardinals Thursday night, I figured it was because the team was on a short week and didn’t practice. Matt Maiocco said the team decided not to release Goodwin in favor of Josh Gordon, who was just claimed by the Seahawks.

In Maiocco’s mailbag, he was asked if we will see Goodwin soon. Here was Maiocco’s answer:

The 49ers have five receivers active on game days. Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel, and Richie James (due to his contributions in the return game) are no-brainers. Kendrick Bourne has turned into a reliable target, so he’s pretty much a lock, too.

That leaves the decision for that fifth spot coming down to Dante Pettis or Marquise Goodwin. The 49ers believe Dante Pettis is improving and has a lot to offer due to his versatility. At this stage, unless there’s an injury, I don’t see how Goodwin gets back on the field with the 49ers.

Bourne is Shanahan’s stepson. He loves what Bourne brings as far as energy. Bourne is a savvy receiver that brings enough to the table to keep him active on Sunday’s.

If it comes down to Pettis and Goodwin, how do you not choose Pettis? Dante is the third receiver to come onto the field when the 49ers go in 11 personnel. Pettis out-snapped Bourne by three against the Cardinals. There has been a lack of consistency all-around at the position, but when you’re making arguments for who can do what as far as contributions go, Goodwin is the odd man out.

What an odd season for Goodwin. Something to keep an eye on will be the 49ers’ opponent. If matchups don’t dictate Goodwin being active—assuming Shanahan wants to stretch the field that week—then I’m not sure when he will see the field. Now that we’re talking about it, watch Goodwin be active a week from today against Seattle.