Pierre Garcon ended up being a disappointment in 2017. San Francisco's big free-agent signing suffered a neck injury and was lost in the first half of the year. The 49ers ended up getting a breakout season from Marquise Goodwin, and re-signed him last month. But too soon to give up on Garcon.
Kyle Shanahan expects Garcon to come back healthy in 2018. And in 2017, he wasn't a total disappointment when he was on the field.
In his eight starts last year before getting hurt, Garcon caught 40 passes. Not elite numbers, but it made him one of just 16 wideouts to average 5 receptions per start last year.
| WIDE RECEIVER RECEPTIONS/START, 2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | No | Yds | TD | No/St |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 14 | 101 | 1533 | 9.3 | 7.2 |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 16 | 112 | 987 | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 16 | 109 | 1156 | 6.3 | 6.8 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 16 | 104 | 1245 | 5.0 | 6.5 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 15 | 96 | 1378 | 13.0 | 6.4 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 16 | 102 | 1393 | 7.0 | 6.4 |
| Odell Beckham, NYG | 4 | 25 | 302 | 3.0 | 6.3 |
| Golden Tate, Det. | 16 | 92 | 1003 | 5.3 | 5.8 |
| Adam Thielen, Minn. | 16 | 91 | 1276 | 4.0 | 5.7 |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 16 | 88 | 1444 | 3.0 | 5.5 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 11 | 59 | 731 | 2.0 | 5.4 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 14 | 74 | 885 | 10.0 | 5.3 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 16 | 83 | 949 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 15 | 75 | 1183 | 8.0 | 5.0 |
| Pierre Garcon, S.F. | 8 | 40 | 500 | .0 | 5.0 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 2 | 10 | 209 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 15 | 71 | 1001 | 5.3 | 4.7 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 16 | 75 | 991 | 8.3 | 4.7 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 16 | 75 | 1078 | 8.0 | 4.7 |
| Robert Woods, LAR | 12 | 56 | 781 | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Stefon Diggs, Minn. | 14 | 64 | 849 | 8.0 | 4.6 |
| Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 15 | 67 | 703 | 8.7 | 4.5 |
| Jamison Crowder, Wash. | 15 | 66 | 789 | 3.0 | 4.4 |
| Randall Cobb, G.B. | 15 | 66 | 653 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| DeVante Parker, Mia. | 13 | 57 | 670 | 1.0 | 4.4 |
| Dez Bryant, Dall. | 16 | 69 | 838 | 6.0 | 4.3 |
| Albert Wilson, K.C. | 6 | 25 | 333 | 1.0 | 4.2 |
| Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 14 | 58 | 618 | 8.7 | 4.1 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 14 | 58 | 917 | 8.0 | 4.1 |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 15 | 62 | 869 | 5.0 | 4.1 |
| Danny Amendola, N.E. | 15 | 61 | 659 | 2.0 | 4.1 |
| Jermaine Kearse, NYJ | 16 | 65 | 810 | 5.0 | 4.1 |
| Brandin Cooks, N.E. | 16 | 65 | 1082 | 7.3 | 4.1 |
| Marqise Lee, Jac. | 14 | 56 | 702 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| Keelan Cole, Jac. | 7 | 28 | 529 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Dede Westbrook, Jac. | 6 | 24 | 304 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
Table shows all wideouts with at least 4 receptions per start a year ago. Note also that Garcon didn't get to play with Jimmy Garoppolo at all; he was acquired after Garcon was lost to injury. The quarterbacking should be better this year.
San Francisco has Goodwin, and could yet add one of the draft's top receivers. Even if they do, Garcon should be one of the major cogs in the passing game, at least for this season.
--Andy Richardson