The 49ers’ preseason finale was supposed to be one last audition, a final push toward the 53-man roster and, for a few players, even a starting role. Instead, it left a handful of guys sliding in the wrong direction.
At tight end, Willis had spent most of the summer looking like a reasonable candidate to stick. That picture changed fast.
George Kittle’s return to practice pushed the need for extra depth down the line, even though Kittle might miss Week 1 and San Francisco would still want help behind Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges. For a moment, Willis seemed positioned to be that guy.
Then came the injury in the preseason finale, and Hayden Rucci’s strong game only made the situation worse. Rucci looks like a better fit for what the 49ers need, and the performance likely slammed the door on Willis’ roster chances.
West has also taken a rough turn. He entered the offseason as one of the biggest losers and spent most of training camp banged up, which kept him from making any real second-year jump.
Once he got back on the field, the preseason did him no favors. Sebastian Valdez and James Thompson both played well and strengthened their cases, while West now looks like he may be hanging on mostly because of where he was drafted.
Toth’s path has become even more difficult because of injury. He was supposed to be in the mix at left guard and center, but a concussion wiped out so much of his summer that he barely got a chance to compete at either spot.
The 49ers have already moved forward in the guard battle, and Drake Nugent appears to have done enough to lock down the backup center job. That leaves Toth in a tough spot.
Gifford’s situation is different, but the result may be the same. He entered the year as a core special teams player and a possible starter in three-linebacker looks.
Instead, he has spent the summer off the field while the linebacker room has gotten stronger around him. Jaden Dugger and Nick Martin should make the team if healthy, and with Fred Warner and Dre Greelaw starting, Gifford is already pushed down to fifth.
Tatum Bethune has been excellent in the preseason, and Garrett Wallow covers the special teams need. At this point, Gifford looks firmly on the chopping block.
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Pineiros leg, though, left no opening for complaint. Fresh off a four-year contract extension, he drilled all six field-goal tries and connected from beyond 50 yards three times, a clean night that underscored why the 49ers invested in him even as one procedural decision rubbed the head coach the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Running Back Gamble Suddenly Matters More Than Ever
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For San Francisco, the bigger picture is clear: reducing McCaffreys workload is not just a luxury, it has become part of the teams planning. The challenge is that neither Black nor James has taken a regular-season carry yet, which leaves the 49ers balancing promise against proof as they try to sort out who can actually shoulder a meaningful role when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]