After having minimal impact on the offense in his rookie season, Danny Gray had reportedly been enjoying a strong training camp in the hope of belatedly delivering production in 2023.

But the young 49ers wide receiver now looks set to start 2023 from a familiar position: watching from the sidelines.

Gray suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday's preseason win over the Broncos. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Sunday that the former third-round pick had sustained an SC joint sprain.

“We were worried it was a broken collarbone, which is usually about eight weeks," Shanahan said. "But, it’s still a pretty bad injury. It’s no break, which is good, but it’s similar to what [safety] George Odum’s dealing with. So, it’s still not great news, but it’s better than a break."

He added when asked about a potential timeline for Gray's return: "They don’t know yet, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be ready at the beginning of the year."

While it is a positive that Gray has avoided a broken collarbone, not being available for the start of the season is a massive setback for him, one that could leave him struggling to carve out a role with the team when he does return.

Gray's emerging competitors

Gray was already behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings on the depth chart. His injury opens up another spot for another receiver to at least start the year on the 53-man roster, Ray-Ray McCloud having already vacated a place on the depth chart when he suffered a wrist injury.

Rookie seventh-rounder Ronnie Bell looks a lock to take one of those spots. He caught seven passes for 114 yards in a spectacular showing against Denver, one in which he displayed tremendous toughness in picking up yards after the catch.

It is not difficult to believe Bell would be ahead of Gray on the depth chart after that performance even without the latter's injury. Though there are unlikely to be many snaps when the 49ers have more than three wide receivers on the field, Gray's likely absence in the opening weeks of the season creates a window for Bell and another player on the fringe of making the roster, such as Chris Conley or Tay Martin, to prove he is a better backup option than the former SMU wideout.

The McCloud problem

For Gray, there is also the complicating factor of McCloud's prospective return. 

McCloud would likely slot straight in as the 49ers' kick returner and was relied on in spurts to provide an additional downfield threat last season. 

If Gray is also out while McCloud is unavailable, he will miss an opportunity to prove he can be a superior deep receiver.

With just seven targets and one rush attempt last season, chances for Gray to impress last year were extremely limited. It's debatable whether they would have been more plentiful to start 2023, but by sustaining an unfortunate setback, his hopes of featuring more prominently in his second season may already have ended.

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