San Francisco 49ers WR Trent Taylor retires from the NFL
Just a few weeks before the San Francisco 49ers begin training camp for the upcoming season, a key figure of their wide receiver room will be missing.
Trent Taylor announced vis his social media on Sunday that he would be retiring from professional football, confirmed by the 49ers in their own statement.
Taken in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, former San Francisco 49ers WR Trent Taylor officially retired from the NFL after a seven-year career. Getty ImagesTaylor announced his retirement in a photo alongside his wife, Sarah, 49ers star tight end George Kittle, and Kittle's wife Claire.
Sarah reshared the photo on her own social media, adding some context in a sweet nod to nostalgia.
Ended the journey with the same ones we started it with,' she wrote.
Taylor was drafted by the 49ers with the 177th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2017 draft - the same draft and round in which the 49ers chose their all-pro tight end, Kittle.
While he never developed into a star receiver, Taylor's best season came as a rookie when he finished with 43 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns - all career-highs. Injuries derailed his time in San Francisco when he missed the entire 2019 season with a lingering foot injury that required offseason surgery and suffered subsequent setbacks.
After three seasons in the Bay Area (2017, '18 and '20), Taylor left the Bay Area and played two seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played his 2023 season with the Bears before returning to San Francisco for the 2024 season. He didn't play for the 49ers in 2025 as an unknown injury placed him on injured reserve, causing him to miss the whole year.
Although injuries may have limited his growth as a receiver, Taylor emerged as a successful punt return man throughout his career.