The 49ers brought in edge rusher Jah Joyner for a tryout ahead of their preseason finale, according to the transaction wire.
Joyner’s path to San Francisco has already included a few stops. After going undrafted in 2025, he spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
He didn’t appear in a regular-season game last year, though he did log 52 preseason snaps. At 6’5” and 265 pounds, he worked strictly on the edge.
Joyner also played 10 games in the UFL last season, and he had a tryout with the Steelers in June 2026 without landing a contract.
The workout makes sense with the 49ers heading into a game they don’t want to expose key players to. The team’s top two-deep bodies have more important things ahead of them, with the regular season set to begin by the weekend. There’s no reason to risk players who are expected to matter in Week 1 in a preseason game that carries little weight two weeks before the opener.
That concern is part of the backdrop for Romello Height’s situation. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury, and the 49ers are giving him as much time as he needs to get as close to 100% as possible before Week 1. Height played 18 snaps in the first preseason game and 13 in the second, and the team likely would have wanted more live reps from the rookie if not for the injury.
Trying out an edge rusher also lines up with the current injury picture at the position. The only transaction was Joyner’s workout, which points to the 49ers not signing him and being satisfied with the group they have for now.
Heading into Thursday night, Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, and Keion White are projected out. That leaves Quinton Bell, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Villiami Fehoko Jr. as the other edge rushers available.
Sam Okuayinonu is expected to start and serve as Mykel’s replacement as an early-down run defender. Given that role, he’s not someone the 49ers can afford to lose to an injury, and he would not be expected to play on Thursday.
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