The 49ers’ final roster cuts did more than trim the list to 53. They cleared up a few early-season roles, and a handful of players came out of the process in much better shape than they were a few weeks ago.
Start with the tight end who spent the whole preseason living on the edge. He’s entering his fourth season in San Francisco and has been active in only 23 games, so he’s no stranger to the roster roller coaster.
This time, though, he did enough to stick. That decision points toward George Kittle missing Week 1 and gives the 49ers a little extra insurance at the position.
On the offensive line, the clearest beneficiary is Willis. At this point, it’s tough to see anyone else opening the season at right guard.
Connor Colby made the team, but he’s been working at the spot for the last couple of weeks. Robert Jones was waived, while Brett Toth and Austen Pleasants landed on injured reserve.
With no other real competition left, the rookie fourth-round pick won the job by default - and by actually winning it.
There was also a real climb for the rookie UDFA from Illinois. He entered camp buried behind a crowded group, including fellow rookie UDFA Bryson Eason.
He was also trailing former UDFAs Sebastian Valdez and Evan Anderson, both of whom had more time in the building. And with four clear locks already ahead of that entire group, there looked to be room for only one player, maybe two if the 49ers chose to carry a fifth interior lineman.
Thompson ended up beating out the rest and forcing his way onto the roster.
White’s path looked shaky just a week ago. An injury had put his Week 1 status in question, but he came back, started, and made the team.
His role now looks even bigger, too. Mykel Williams is set to go on the PUP list and miss the first six games, which means White isn’t just expected to open the season as a starter - he’s lined up to hold that job for the first chunk of the schedule.
Bethune also turned a preseason opportunity into a roster spot. His place was starting to slide when you looked at the depth chart: Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw were already locked in as the top two, Nick Martin and Jaden Dugger were drafted after him, and Luke Gifford and Garrett Wallow brought veteran value and special teams help. Even with all that competition, Bethune played well enough in the preseason to keep himself in the mix and secure a spot.
In Other News...
49ers Defensive Front Just Lost A Rookie They Were Counting On
Mykel Williams rookie year is starting with an unexpected pause after the 49ers placed the defensive lineman on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List, pushing back his debut by at least the first four games. The first-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft had been part of the plan for a front that expected to lean on its young pass rush talent, but an ACL injury has changed the opening stretch and ensured he will not be on the field for the season opener.
San Francisco has already set its 53-man roster, and the edge-rusher group will have to carry the load without him for now, with Sam Okuayinou, Keion White and Romello Height among the names on the list. The early absence matters because Williams was supposed to help line up next to Nick Bosa, and now the 49ers will have to find out how much pressure they can generate before their rookie defender is eligible to return. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Just Lost A Defender They Wanted To Keep
The 49ers roster churn is still rolling as teams around the league sort through waiver claims and the next round of practice-squad and injured reserve moves. San Francisco had been trying to keep its depth intact, but the early action already trimmed away some familiar names, with the Raiders grabbing Darrell Luter, the Chiefs taking Bryson Eason, and the Colts landing Kapena Gushiken.
There is still more movement to come before the day is done, and that is where the 49ers will get their next look at how the back end of the roster settles. Christian Jones and Isaiah Foskey were also part of the broader conversation around roster decisions and development, which is exactly why these post-cutdown hours can matter so much for a team trying to preserve young talent wherever it can. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Just Got A Harsh Early Reality Check In The NFC West
The NFC West already looked unforgiving for San Francisco, and now the early path has gotten even steeper. Reports that Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to return to the Los Angeles Rams only add to a roster that already carried plenty of defensive bite, and the comparison between the two teams has tilted further toward Los Angeles on both sides of the ball. For a 49ers team trying to navigate a division that rarely offers much breathing room, it is the kind of development that forces an immediate reset of expectations.
The timing makes it even tougher to ignore because the 49ers are set to see the Rams first in Melbourne, Australia, a stage that will amplify whatever edge Los Angeles believes it has. San Francisco can still make its own case over the course of the season, but the matchup in front of it now looks like more than just an opener. It feels like an early test of whether the 49ers can keep pace in a division where the margin for error may already be shrinking. [Read more 🡒]