49ers Legend Jerry Rice Points to Major Issue With Current Wide Receivers

San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice is considered the greatest wide receiver to ever play the game of football. With 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns, he remains tops in both of those categories, so he knows a thing or two about playing the position.

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Rice joined “ManningCast” to discuss how he views wide receivers in today’s game and what advice he would give to current and upcoming skill players in the NFL.

Rice pointed to the RPO (run, play, option) game as a big factor in most offenses, and the best way to utilize that style of play is to go big. The idea behind stacking more weight and bulk is to have the ability to break tackles for more yards after the catch opportunities.

Peyton Manning asked Rice what he thinks is “the biggest adjustment wide receivers face coming into the NFL.”

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Rice then goes into RPO plays, and that’s how long it takes to “get used to.”

“I would say the biggest adjustment now is the run-pass option. It’s going to take some getting used to; it’s going to be like these bubble screens and shorter routes. If I play in today’s era, I’m going to need to be more forceful, more muscular, be able to catch those passes underneath and be able to break tackles, and take punishment from those defensive players,” Rice said.

Rice also pointed to the need for players to prepare for “YAC yards”, referring to yards after the catch.

Some players, like Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, are not the most muscular, but they have the vertical leap and size to make competitive catches. However, perhaps having a heavier receiver could lead to more success for the RPO.

Rice is alluding to a big frame that can break tackles. Much like the way 49ers star Christian McCaffrey runs after catching the ball, that’s why he is such a dangerous dual-threat running back.

Had Rice been a heavyweight with his skill set at his time, his records may have been even more unattainable.

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