Woerner wasn't targeted while playing 17 of the 49ers' 70 snaps on offense in Sunday's 13-0 win over the Saints.
What it means:
With double-digit snaps in both of the past two games, Woerner appears to have seized hold of the No. 2 tight end role ahead of Ross Dwelley, who has played 10 snaps combined over that same stretch. Even so, starter George Kittle continues to dominate the reps at the position, leaving little room for Woerner to carve out a role. Even if Kittle misses time with an injury like he did earlier in the season, Woerner is expected to be deployed almost exclusively as a blocker. Woerner has drawn just two targets over 160 offensive snaps this season.
Woerner went without a target across 21 offensive snaps in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Panthers.
What it means:
Any window of opportunity Woerner had to carve out a meaningful role in the 49ers' passing attack closed when top tight end George Kittle returned to action Week 3 following a two-game absence to begin the season. Even in the two games Kittle missed, Woerner went without a target. The 49ers continue to essentially view the 6-foot-5, 241-pound Woerner as an extra lineman; he's ran just 10 routes on 98 snaps on offense this season.
The 49ers activated Woerner (abdomen) from the active/PUP list Sunday.
What it means:
Woerner underwent offseason core muscle surgery and started training camp on the PUP list. Now healthy, the 2020 sixth-round pick will compete with Tyler Kroft and Ross Dwelley for limited playing time behind George Kittle.
San Francisco placed Woerner (abdomen) on the PUP list Tuesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
What it means:
Apparently Woerner recently underwent core muscle surgery, and he presumably still needs time to recover from that. He did see three starts in 2021 after George Kittle went down with a calf injury, but he'll fight Tyler Kroft for scraps behind Kittle in 2022 assuming he's ready to go by the start of the regular season.
Woerner had five receptions for 52 yards across 17 games during the 2021 regular season.
What it means:
Woerner took over backup duties behind George Kittle early in the season, but the slight shift up the depth chart did not result in more usage offensively. The 23-year-old did make three starts in place of Kittle, but he was primarily used as a blocker and recorded just four receptions over that three-game span. Woerner will still be under team control for 2022, and he will serve a similar backup role if kept on the 53-man roster.
Woerner caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Vikings.
What it means:
Woerner recorded his first reception since George Kittle returned from IR a couple of games back. While both tight ends finished with similar disappointing stat lines, don't let the production indicate any sort of time share at the tight end position in San Francisco. Kittle recorded 65 offensive snaps (93 percent) while Woerner was limited to 19 snaps (27 percent). The latter does not carry any fantasy value heading into a matchup against Seattle.
