Michael Crabtree Injury: Why 49ers WR Will Never Pay off for San Francisco

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree is still experiencing severe pain in his surgically-repaired left foot. While X-rays are fortunately negative, the pain indicates that he still has a significant amount of recovery time left to return the foot to full health.

The injury, however, represents another setback in Crabtree's Niners career that has yet to take off as planned.

Though the receiver was hurting, he did play for 16 offensive snaps in yesterday's 33-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, catching one pass for just four yards from quarterback Alex Smith.

Crabtree, now in his third season with the team, has yet to pan out as the offensive savior he was drafted to be.

While he has been consistent in his first two seasons, having 55 receptions for 741 yards and six touchdowns (averaging 13.5 yards per catch) in 2010, and 48 receptions for 625 yards and two touchdowns (with an average of 13.0 yards per catch) in his holdout-shortened 2009 season, he hasn't shown the kind of explosive play-making ability San Francisco had hoped for.

Some of the blame can fall upon his quarterback, the 2005 No. 1 draft pick Smith, who for all intents and purposes has proved himself somewhat of a bust heading into his seventh season in San Francisco. Some, but not all of it.

In yesterday's game, Smith went 15-for-20 for 124 yards and no touchdowns. However, those passes were caught by the team's real playmakers, tight end Vernon Davis (five receptions, 47 yards), and wide receiver Braylon Edwards (three receptions, 27 yards).

However, the biggest surprise—and biggest concern for Crabtree's future with the 49ers—is the performance of fourth-year receiver Josh Morgan, who caught two receptions for 28 yards (with a long for 26 yards).

Morgan has usurped Crabtree's position as the No. 2 starting wide receiver, and as long as Crabtree's injury continues to bother him, Morgan will likely get increased looks from Smith.

This may be the final straw for Crabtree's tenure in San Francisco, as it becomes increasingly clear that the team doesn't need him to make plays like they once did.

The addition of Edwards is also trouble for Crabtree. While Edwards has had issues with dropped balls reaching back to his days as a Michigan Wolverine, his statistics are still impressive.

His only season that ended statistically worse than Crabtree's best was his four-game 2009 year with the Cleveland Browns.

With tight end Davis as Smith's favorite aerial target, the new addition Edwards serving as the Niners' big playmaker in the passing game and the emergence of Morgan as an every-game starter, Crabtree looks to be crowded out of his roster spot.

Add in his injury issues, and it looks like Crabtree's big opportunity has passed him by and that his time in San Francisco is quickly running out.