The Terrace Marshall Era in San Francisco is officially over, as the team cut him from the practice squad following the return of first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the LSU product joined the Carolina Panthers following a masterful collegiate tenure with the Tigers. Proving himself as the top option with Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, and Justin Jefferson in the NFL, Marshall’s size and strength had scouts believing he could be a legitimate perimeter threat at the next level.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The 6′-2″, 200-pound wideout struggled against the elite competition of the NFL, recording just 17 receptions for 138 yards as a rookie. This wasn’t the end of the road, as he flashed some promise in the back half of 2022 and entered 2023 as a starter on Carolina’s depth chart. Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry the success into the new year, as he finished the year with just 19 receptions for 139 yards. Carolina released him before the first week of the 2024 season, and this latest cut could be the last we see of Terrace Marshall.
At this point, it’s safe to say he’ll never justify his second-round draft capital. However, a team like the Baltimore Ravens or Los Angeles Chargers could bring him in and see if they can get something out of the LSU product. There aren’t enough good receivers to go around, and rather than waste draft capital on a questionable talent, these two contenders could sign the recently cut Terrace Marshall to their practice squad.
Ravens, Chargers Could Sign Terrace Marshall After Unceremonious Cut
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the most unstoppable offenses in the league. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is arguably having a better year than his MVP-winning 2023, dominating opponents through the air while free-agent signee Derrick Henry continues to bulldoze over opponents and Father Time alike. Baltimore has a winning formula with this run-heavy approach, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a shot on someone like Terrace Marshall after the 49ers cut him.
2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers is a reliable part of Baltimore’s passing attack, but this team could use additional depth. Mark Andrews and Nelson Agholor are slowing down, Rashod Bateman cannot earn targets, and fourth-round pick DeVontez Walker has yet to see the field. Nobody is saying that Terrace Marshall can be a starter in this offense, but the recently cut wideout deserves a shot to show what he can do on the practice squad. If he can recapture his 2022 form, then perhaps he can earn a few snaps per game down the stretch.
Help For Justin Herbert
Jim Harbaugh wants to run the football as much as humanly possible, but he can’t completely ignore the passing game. Justin Herbert is getting healthier and the team is 3-2, but they’ll need more offensive firepower to go blow-for-blow with the elite AFC teams. Terrace Marshall won’t cut it against top NFL cornerbacks, but he can’t be much worse than the Chargers current depth chart. Youngsters Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston both suffered small injuries in Week 6, and Marshall could provide some emergency insurance in case one of these two needs time to recover.
