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Former 49ers WR Publicly Accepts Pay Cut to Return Amid Banged-Up WR Room

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 17, 2025

Trent Taylor broke his silence in a brief sideline interview after a private workout in California, saying he is willing to cut his salary to rejoin the 49ers as injuries thin San Francisco’s receiving corps.

“San Francisco has always been my home; I’ll show up whenever they need me. If taking a pay cut is what it takes to come back and wear the Red and Gold again, let’s do it. I hope I can help the 49ers while the WR room is hurting,” Taylor said.

Pressed on “why the 49ers and why now,” Taylor pointed to familiarity and immediacy: he knows Kyle Shanahan’s playbook, the cadence at the line, and the spacing rules in San Francisco’s quick game and play-action concepts. He added that his blocking on the perimeter can stabilize the run game while the offense rides out the injury wave.

Asked about money, Taylor declined specifics but indicated he would entertain a short, team-friendly structure heavy on performance bonuses—snap counts, receptions, yards, and touchdowns—so the club preserves cap flexibility while he earns his way back into a bigger role.

On role and usage, Taylor framed himself as a “trust player” who can line up outside or as a big slot, win leverage on third down, and serve as a reliable red-zone target. His size and willingness to block, he said, are “day-one” contributions that don’t require a long ramp-up.

Beyond the X’s and O’s, Taylor noted the locker-room value of a familiar voice during an injury crunch: reinforcing details in meetings, tempo on the practice field, and standards for the younger receivers. “It’s about doing the little things right when the room is stretched thin,” he said.

If talks advance, routine steps would follow: medicals, role alignment with the coaching staff, and incentive triggers tied to usage and production. Should both sides find common ground, Taylor could be a plug-and-play veteran presence as San Francisco navigates a banged-up stretch at wide receiver.

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Raiders Reunite with a Former Starter to Fortify the Offensive Line
Las Vegas, NV   The Las Vegas Raiders have brought back a familiar face in a move that screams both urgency and savvy: versatile offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor is returning to the Silver & Black on a one-year deal (terms not disclosed), reuniting with the franchise where he logged some of the best football of his career and immediately fortifying a position group that has been stretched thin. Eluemunor, 31, started for the Raiders from 2021–2023, showing rare position flexibility across right tackle and guard while anchoring pass protection against premier edge rushers. His technique, anchor, and ability to handle long-arm power made him a steadying force during multiple playoff pushes. After departing Vegas, Eluemunor spent time elsewhere refining his craft, but a confluence of roster needs and scheme familiarity has set the stage for a timely homecoming. For the Raiders—fighting to keep pace in a rugged AFC—this is about stability and fit. Injuries and week-to-week availability on the right side of the line have forced constant shuffling; protection packages have leaned heavily on chips and condensed splits to survive obvious passing downs. Eluemunor’s return allows the staff to plug him at RT or slide him inside at RG, restoring balance to protections and widening the run-game menu (duo, inside zone, and the toss/ pin-pull that Vegas fans love when the edge is sealed). “Jermaine knows who we are and how we want to play,” a team source said. “He brings ballast. Assignment sound, physical, and smart—he raises the floor for the entire unit.” Beyond the X’s and O’s, there’s an unmistakable emotional charge to this reunion. Eluemunor was a locker-room favorite in his previous stint—professional, detail-driven, and accountable. The belief internally is that his presence stabilizes communication on the right side (IDs, slides, and pass-off rules vs. games and simulated pressures), which in turn unlocks more vertical concepts and keeps the quarterback cleaner late in games. On social media, Raider Nation lit up the timeline with a simple refrain: “Welcome back, Jem.” Many fans called the deal the exact kind of “rival-poach, ready-to-play” move a contender makes in October: low friction, high impact, zero learning curve. What it means on the field (immediately): Pass pro: Fewer emergency chips, more five-out releases—OC can re-open deeper intermediate shots without living in max-protect. Run game: Better edge control on toss/duo; more confidence running to the right on money downs. Depth & versatility: One injury doesn’t force a cascade of position changes; Eluemunor can cover two spots with starting-level competency. The timetable? Swift. Because Eluemunor already speaks the language—terminology, splits, cadence rules—he could suit up as early as this weekend if the medicals/check-ins continue to trend positive. The message is clear: the Raiders aren’t waiting around for the line to gel—they’re engineering it. If Jermaine Eluemunor plays to his Raider résumé, this reunion could be the precise mid-season jolt that steadies the offense and keeps the Silver & Black firmly in the postseason race. Raider Nation, the question writes itself: Plug-and-play stopgap—or the catalyst that reclaims the right side