The bye week can be a reset for a lot of players, but for a few 49ers, it may be the point where the snap count starts shrinking.
One name to watch is Colby. The team is not going to bench him coming out of the bye week, but his arrow is pointing the wrong way.
His first four games were solid enough, yet the last three before the break left plenty of room for concern. Rookie Carver Willis is already being prepared as a possible replacement.
Willis played tackle in college, so the adjustment to the NFL was always going to take some time, but the bye gives him a chance to catch up. If Colby keeps slipping, the 49ers are going to bench him.
Do not be surprised if Colby is not the starter throughout the second half of the season.
Cowing’s situation looks even shakier. He has been on the field mostly because of injuries at the position, but the roster is expected to get healthier after the bye with Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans set to return.
Demarcus Robinson could be back soon too, and Christian Kirk is healthy as well. Kirk may even take over punt return duties from Cowing, which could leave Cowing inactive.
Valdez is another player whose role appears to be fading. He was brought up from the practice squad when injuries hit the defensive front, but the 49ers have since traded for DeForest Buckner and also got UDFA James Thompson back healthy.
With the bye week giving the staff time to sort out the rotation, Valdez now looks like the fifth man in line. That could mean inactive status on game days.
Brown has started every game this season, but the play behind him has been stronger. Malik Mustapha and Marques Sigle have both outperformed him, and once Sigle is healthy again, the 49ers may choose to pair him with Mustapha and leave Brown on the bench.
White is in a different spot, but the result could still be fewer snaps. Mike Williams is healthy and seeing more action, Nick Bosa is expected back after the bye week, and rookie Romello Height is starting to contribute more.
None of that opens a path for White to move up. Instead, he looks set to settle in as the fourth man in the rotation.
In Other News...
Brock Purdy And Mike Evans Are Becoming A Real 49ers Weapon
The 49ers spent their bye week watching the standings break their way, with a Minnesota loss pushing San Francisco into the NFC's top seed and adding a little more weight to what has already been a strong season. One of the reasons the offense has stayed so dangerous is the growing connection between Brock Purdy and Mike Evans, a pairing that has quickly become one of the more efficient quarterback-receiver combinations in the league.
Even with Evans missing time because of Achilles tendonitis, the two have been remarkably productive when they have been on the field together, and the numbers back up the eye test. Purdy has found Evans for chunk gains and timely completions at a rate that has kept drives alive and defenses on edge, a useful wrinkle for a team trying to protect its place at the top of the conference as the season enters its stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Have A Clear Path To The Top Seed If They Survive This Stretch
The 49ers head into the second half with the NFCs top spot in hand and a 6-1 record, but the schedule after the bye is where the real work begins. San Francisco still has a run of games that will demand attention from start to finish, including matchups with the Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings, and the margin for error gets thinner once the calendar flips into the stretch that tends to separate contenders from pretenders.
There is plenty of reason for the 49ers to feel good about where they stand, especially with the way the standings have broken in their favor so far. Still, the next phase is less about the record they already own and more about how they handle a series of opponents that can make life uncomfortable in different ways, from tricky venues to teams that have a history of making these kinds of late-season games matter. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Suddenly Linked To A Chargers Pass Rusher Fans Know Well
The Chargers rough season has pushed them toward the kind of trade-deadline posture that usually turns a roster into a conversation piece, and a few familiar names are already surfacing as possible chips. Khalil Mack and Donte Jackson have been mentioned in that mix, but the edge rush market also includes Tuli Tuipulotu, a young pass rusher whose situation naturally draws attention as teams start looking for help up front.
For the 49ers, this is the sort of deadline chatter worth monitoring closely because pass rush remains one of the leagues most valuable commodities. Tuipulotu is in the final year of his rookie deal, and with no extension in place, the Chargers may have a decision to make if the phone keeps ringing. San Francisco is among the teams reported to have interest, along with Dallas, but for now it remains one of those deadline threads that could move fast or fade just as quickly. [Read more 🡒]