Michael Crabtree is in a contract season and needs a big season to prove he deserves the top-dollar deal he wants. However, as the weeks progress, Crabtree's targets have decreased on the field leaving the wide receiver to not be thrilled with his status on the team. With reports surfacing that there is growing tension between Crabtree and the coaching staff, Jim Harbaugh is downplaying any signs of issues.
Crabtree made a crucial fourth-down catch that help the San Francisco 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. When asked about the call, Crabtree said he was simply a third-down receiver and the third option for quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Not sounding too keen on elaborating on his frustrations, Crabtree just said to ask the coaching staff about that issue. Harbaugh does not believe there is an issue to elaborate on.
"I don't think so," Harbaugh said, via the Sacramento Bee. "Seems to be doing a fantastic job and getting the ball a lot. It happens. I mean Anquan had a few. There have been a few overthrows, I've had a few play calls that didn't work. I have no problem with Michael Crabtree's hands or Anquan Boldin's or the way our receivers have been catching the ball."
According to NFL.com, Crabtree has been playing on fewer than 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps in the past two games. Since Week 3, he has not had more than five catches per game while being targeted less than 10 times. That is not what Crabtree had in mind as he battles for a new deal in the offseason. Anquan Boldin does not see the problem, agreeing with Harbaugh that everyone just does their job when their name is called and numbers should not matter.
"We've got a group of unselfish guys and guys who just want to get it done," Boldin said. "That's just the way we approach it. Some days, some guys will get more targets than others. We feel like we can affect the game in other ways as well. Our receivers, we're a big part of the running game as well. We feel like if we block well on the outside, we're able to pop big runs. That's something we take pride in, too."
The issue is that numbers matter in a contract year. Crabtree has held out for money before and likely will not hesitate to do so again. If the 49ers feel they need to move on from the receiver, there will be a team that is willing to give him the contract he demands.
