49ers add KhaDarel Hodge, a familiar type of depth receiver, to their offseason mix

The San Francisco 49ers are signing KhaDarel Hodge, a receiver who previously spent four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, according to a report from Yahoo Sports published Tuesday. The move adds another body to the 49ers’ wide receiver group as they continue building for the coming NFL season.

Hodge entered the league as an undrafted free agent from the 2018 class. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has worked primarily as a depth option rather than a weekly target in recent seasons. His NFL production, as outlined in the report, has been limited: he recorded three receptions in 2025 and seven in 2024.

For context, Hodge’s most recent stretches of receiving production shown in the report came earlier in the Falcons’ use of him. In 2023, he made 14 catches for 232 yards, and in 2022 he totaled 13 receptions for 202 yards. Those numbers suggest a role that has tended to come in spurts, potentially tied to game plans, situational packages, and the broader rotation at the position.

The “former Raheem Morris player” framing in the report points to a common team-building connection. Morris has served as a coach in the NFL and his coaching tree has included multiple players who have later found new chances elsewhere. For San Francisco, the Hodge signing indicates that it is willing to look toward past personnel relationships as part of assembling camp competition and depth.

For the 49ers, the practical impact of a signing like this is straightforward: it increases competition in training camp and preseason for roles that do not always show up in headline stats. Depth receivers, especially those who can learn a playbook quickly and execute when called upon, can be important during a long season when injuries, matchups, and tempo shifts force the lineup to adjust.

Hodge’s profile, based on the report’s production overview, also raises a key question for the 49ers’ staff: can a receiver who has seen modest target volume carve out a larger part of the offensive plan? In the short term, the answer is likely to be revealed through practices, preseason snaps, and how he performs on route timing, red-zone packages, and special-teams opportunities, if available.

The next thing to watch is whether this addition turns into a more meaningful role or remains primarily a camp-and-depth transaction. The 49ers’ offseason roster decisions tend to become clearer after team practice reports, preseason usage, and final roster cuts, when the organization’s priorities for the receiver group are fully visible. Until then, the Hodge signing should be viewed as a move designed to strengthen depth and competition rather than to report an established starting change.