Former Illinois Football Wide Receiver Signs with the 49’ers

News: Former Illinois Football standout Malik Turner is back in the NFL following a successful stint in the UFL in the spring, signing a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers — his third stop in the Bay Area since 2022.

The Niners’ receiving corps has been hit hard by injuries and uncertainty. Star playmaker Brandon Aiyuk is still working back from knee surgery following his 2024 ACL tear, and Jauan Jennings has been sidelined by a calf injury for most of camp — possibly while also angling for a new contract extension. To boot, rookie Jordan Watkins (138th overall pick from Ole Miss) recently suffered a high-ankle sprain…. With an open practice and a preseason matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders fast approaching, Kyle Shanahan’s offense needed fresh playmaking options on the outside.

That’s where Turner comes in — a 7-year veteran already very familiar with Shanahan’s system.

Before re-signing with San Francisco, Turner spent part of the spring with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL for their postseason run, where he wasted no time making an immediate impact. In Michigan’s season finale, he set a single-game UFL league record with 168 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns against the D.C. Defenders in the UFL Championship. Over just four games total, the Springfield, Illinois native tallied 40 receptions for 365 total yards and four touchdowns for the Panthers, finishing third in the league in scores. 

That said, the former Illini was one of four receivers that the 49ers’ staff recently worked out to potentially fill the vacant roles – and obviously, he left a good impression.

This marks Malik’s third time playing under Shanahan in San Francisco, making the transition a bit more familiar and seamless all around.

The 49ers signed WR Malik Turner today. This comes after the Jordan Watkins injury.

Turner is a 2018 UDFA out of Illinois and this will be his third go-around with the 49ers. 6’2”, 200+ lbs. and can play special teams.

A grinder, who’s hopped around the NFL and balled out in… pic.twitter.com/F7uNrgEeIP

— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) August 14, 2025

Turner’s Career Since Departing Illinois Football in 2017-18

Turner is no stranger to stepping in and stepping up for a program on the fly, when needed.

In fact, after an eye opening career at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin HS capped by a 14-0 state championship season, Malik joined a struggling Illinois program as an immediate impact freshman in 2014, where he stuck through perils the late Tim Beckman era, and into the struggles of the early Lovie Smith era.  Despite battling injuries, Turner developed into a go-to playmaker for the Illini, and over his 4-year’s in Champaign (2014-17), the 6’2 200 pound playmaker was able to churn up 1,804 total yards (9th in Illinois Football program history) on 143 receptions, in addition to 10 touchdowns over his career.

Since departing the Illini back in 2017-18, Malik’s path forward into a 7-year professional journey has been a winding one….

Road to San Francisco

Turner entered the league as an UDFA with the Seattle Seahawks back in 2018, spending the 2018–19 seasons in Seattle before a move to the Green Bay Packers in 2020. Later that same year, he joined the Dallas Cowboys, where he played through the 2021 season. In 2022, he made his first return to San Francisco, followed by short-lived stints with the Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts over the next two years. He rejoined the 49ers in 2024, then stepped away once again, to play for the Michigan Panthers in 2025.

Now, after it all, Malik finds himself back in San Francisco once again, competing for a spot on the roster.

• Seattle Seahawks (2018–19)
• Green Bay Packers (2020)
• Dallas Cowboys (2020–21)
• San Francisco 49ers (2022)
• Las Vegas Raiders (2022)
• Houston Texans (2022)
• Indianapolis Colts (2023)
• San Francisco 49ers (2024)
• Michigan Panthers (2025)
• San Francisco 49ers (2025–present)

The 29-year-old UDFA now has another chance to prove himself further to league executives — potentially earning a role as a reliable rotational target or special teams contributor. With the 49ers’ receiver room battered, the opportunity is there for the time being. The question is, can he seize the opportunity ahead and finally carve out some stability in his NFL career?

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