After getting punched in the mouth during joint practices with the Chargers earlier this week, the 49ers answered with a 41-17 preseason win in Los Angeles and shifted the spotlight to the only thing that really matters now: cutdown day.
That deadline lands Sunday, August 30th at 3 pm Pacific, and the roster picture is starting to come into focus. The biggest questions coming into the game were at left guard and receiver, and the 49ers got some clarity on both fronts.
On the offensive line, Chris Foerster’s choice was rookie Carver Willis. San Francisco has rotated Willis, Robert Jones, Connor Colby, and Austen Pleasants at left guard, with each player bringing one important trait to the table and enough flaws elsewhere to make the competition feel wide open. The club still has one more card to play there in free agent signing Brett Toth, once he’s cleared to return.
At receiver, Christian Kirk still can’t get healthy, and that may not buy him the kind of patience the 49ers have shown in the past, especially with what happened with Ricky Pearsall.
From here, the real work is less about pure talent and more about roster mechanics. The 49ers have to decide who gets the final 53, and some of those decisions will come down to whether a player can make it through waivers and come back as one of those “boomerang cuts” to the practice squad.
Among the players listed in that category: Khalil Herbert and Zamir White at running back; Christian Kirk, Wesley Grimes, Malik Turner, and Trenton Irwin at receiver; Brayden Willis and Hayden Rucci at tight end; Brandon Parker, Doug Kramer Jr., and Nick Zakelj on the offensive line; Alex Barrett, Evan Anderson, Victor Dimukeje, and Titus Leo on the defensive line; Luke Gifford and Jalen Graham at linebacker; Eli Apple and Nate Hobbs in the secondary; and Patrick McMorris, Jalen Stroman, and Siran Neal at safety.
The practice squad can hold 16 players, with a 17th allowed if he’s a designated international player, which applies to Isaac Alarcon with the Niners.
A few names appear to be in stronger shape. Jordan James is one of them; the thought here is that if he were cut, another team would grab him, so San Francisco is likely to keep him.
Jacob Cowing looked like a possible boomerang cut until his punt return touchdown against the Chargers, and the market for punt returners is thin enough that he’d be at risk of being claimed. DT James Thompson Jr. also seems to have done enough to stay, making him a risky cut.
The final preseason game comes Thursday, August 27 at 5 pm Pacific in Las Vegas against the Raiders.
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For a team already weighing how to manage a crowded depth chart, the next move on Kirk could matter as much as the signing itself. San Francisco is looking at ways to keep him around without burning a roster spot while he recovers, and the decision it makes in the coming days could shape how the receiver group is organized when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
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For players in that spot, preseason work is about more than looking sharp in camp drills. It is about carrying practice momentum into a game setting, showing they can handle real speed and real pressure, and giving the coaching staff a clearer picture before roster decisions get tighter. Against Los Angeles, each of those six has something riding on every snap. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Backfield Gets Shaken Up Again With McCaffrey Still Out
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With Christian McCaffrey still unavailable for the upcoming game, the 49ers are planning to spread the load among Kaelon Black, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, and Herbert. It leaves the team piecing together a rotation on the fly, and the bigger question is how quickly the new mix can settle in before the next round of roster movement arrives. [Read more 🡒]