Former 49ers Receiver Trent Taylor Retires After 7 NFL Seasons

by Erik MeersJuly 12, 2026, 3:25 pm >

Trent Taylor‘s seven-year NFL career has come to a close. The former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver’s retirement was confirmed Saturday through photos his wife, Sarah Taylor, shared on Instagram, showing the couple celebrating alongside longtime friend and former teammate George Kittle and Kittle’s wife, Claire.

“Ended the journey with the same ones we started it with,” Sarah Taylor wrote.

San Francisco selected Taylor in the fifth round, 177th overall, out of Louisiana Tech in the 2017 draft — the same round in which the 49ers took Kittle, whose career would go on to include multiple Pro Bowl selections. Taylor carved out a different but valuable niche, establishing himself as a steady slot receiver and one of the more productive punt returners of his era.

His rookie season proved to be his statistical peak. Taylor hauled in 43 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns in 2017, quickly becoming a trusted option in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. A foot injury derailed his 2019 campaign entirely, and while he never matched his rookie production again, he remained a contributor through the 2020 season, his fourth with the team.

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Taylor left San Francisco after that, spending the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he split time as a backup slot receiver and primary punt returner, before a one-year stop with the Chicago Bears in 2023. He returned to the 49ers in 2024 on a one-year deal, was briefly released and re-signed to the practice squad, then inked a futures contract in January 2025. That second stint with San Francisco was cut short when the team placed him on injured reserve on June 3, 2025, with a back injury that sidelined him for the entire season and ultimately ended his playing career.

Over 80 regular-season games and three starts, Taylor finished with 88 receptions for 845 yards and three touchdowns, adding five rushing attempts for 13 yards. On special teams, he was even more prolific, totaling 112 punt returns for 1,051 yards, a 9.4-yard average, and adding 106 kick-return yards.

Taylor, now 32, has not announced any plans for what comes next. His retirement further reshapes the 49ers’ receiver room this offseason, with the team also adding veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk as it looks to take pressure off third-year receiver Ricky Pearsall.