With one preseason game left, the San Francisco 49ers have very little time to sort out the edges of their roster, and Week 2 did not help a handful of players. Some were slowed by injuries, others were passed on the depth chart, and a few simply watched younger names surge past them.
The most difficult situation belongs to Kirk, who has not practiced since the team entered training camp. That matters because six receivers have already secured jobs.
Demarcus Robinson has been working with the starters, while Deebo Samuel was acquired via trade to join Mike Evans as the top veterans. At the same time, De’Zhaun Stribling, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing have all been among the preseason winners as young players with upside.
At this point, carrying a seventh receiver feels like a luxury the team may not need, and Kirk could wind up on the injured list.
Austen Pleasants also took a hit in Week 2. He had plenty of opportunity to claim the swing tackle job, but he has not made it his own.
His second preseason outing included a struggle and an injury, while Enrique Cruz also looks like a developmental option. Vederian Lowe would be the starter if healthy, and the preseason has reinforced that the job belongs to Lowe when he is available.
At left guard, Colby has slipped from where he began camp. He took only eight snaps there in the preseason, all of them at the end of games, after opening training camp with a strong lead for the starting job. The team even gave Pleasants a look before circling back to Colby, and that shift says plenty: he has gone from penciled-in starter to someone fighting just to stay on the roster.
The linebacker group got a different kind of evaluation with Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Luke Gifford sitting out. Jaden Dugger, Garrett Wallow and Nick Martin started in their place, and each of them made a solid impression in their roles. Unless the 49ers are ready to make a surprise move and cut their core special teams option in Gifford, Bethune appears to be the No. 7 linebacker.
Toth entered camp expected to battle at both left guard and center, but injuries have taken those chances away. He now looks too far back at left guard, and at center he is quickly being overtaken by the rising Drake Nugent. The result could be a roster cut.
James is also dealing with injury, and Week 2 likely settled the backup competition in the wrong direction for him. Kaelon Black stood out too much to ignore, and that may have been enough to put James behind him.
In Other News...
49ers Roster Battle Took A Turn During This Preseason Blowout
The 49ers turned a preseason blowout into a long look at the bottom of the roster, and the game quickly became more about auditions than the score. Brock Purdy played briefly before giving way, San Francisco was up 20-3 by halftime and stretched the margin to 41-9 in the second half, opening the door for a cluster of rookies and fringe players to get extended snaps in a live setting.
Jacob Cowing, DeZhaun Stribling, Kaelon Black, Carver Willis, Austen Pleasants and Jalen Stroman all saw meaningful action, with the results mixed as the staff sorted through a crowded roster battle. Adrian Martinez handled the second half and left a little bit of everything on the tape, including a pick-six, but also a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown as the 49ers kept the scoreboard moving while the evaluation window stayed wide open. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Injury Pileup Is Raising New Concerns Before Week 1
The 49ers left their preseason game against the Chargers with more than just the usual August bruises. Guard Austen Pleasants was ruled out with a knee injury, and rookie cornerback Renardo Green also left the contest and was questionable to return before ultimately not coming back. For a team trying to get through camp healthy and ready for Week 1, those are the kinds of exits that can linger well beyond one exhibition game.
Kyle Shanahans update on the defensive front added another layer to the concern, even if it came with some cautious optimism. He said Nick Bosa is making progress, while Mykel Williams is still trending toward missing the season opener. With the regular season approaching, the 49ers are once again navigating the uncomfortable mix of waiting, monitoring, and hoping the injury report does not keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Facing Uncomfortable Roster Calls As Two Camp Battles Intensify
The 49ers are moving deeper into preseason evaluation mode, and a couple of roster questions are starting to feel less like camp chatter and more like decisions the front office may have to live with. Christian McCaffrey remains part of the bigger picture, but the more immediate pressure is on players such as Kirk and Colby, whose place on the roster now depends on how the team weighs performance, health, and fit as August unfolds.
Kirks case has become especially tricky because the injury interruptions have stacked up alongside a dip in production, which puts him in the middle of a real cut conversation rather than a routine depth chart debate. Colby, meanwhile, is fighting a different kind of battle, one centered on the starting guard job and the sort of interior competition Kyle Shanahan and Chris Foerster tend to use as a true test of who can hold up when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]