Given Crabtree’s already troubled history with contract negotiations (see his rookie deal) and the fact that talks for next season have already been tabled, it’s hard to envision his long-term future in San Francisco.
Crabtree started off awfully slow through the 49ers’ first eight games, and his production was equivalent to that of slot receiver Stevie Johnson, who played less than half of the time. That’s not how 2014 was supposed to go for Crabtree, coming off a 2013 campaign plagued by injury.
Aside from the miraculous fourth-down catch against the Saints last week, Crabtree doesn’t look explosive. He’s averaging 9.8 yards per reception, and his seven dropped passes ranks tied for second-worst in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Crabtree won’t get the kind of lucrative deal he’s seeking from the Niners, meaning another wide receiver-needy team will have to hand over the deal. That, or he’ll have to settle for a one-year prove-it deal, much like Jeremy Maclin took from Philly this year.
