George Kittle’s recovery could end up deciding one of the last tight end jobs on the San Francisco 49ers’ roster, and Brayden Willis may be the biggest beneficiary if the All-Pro isn’t ready for Week 1.
Kittle is expected to have a real shot at being available for the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, after tearing his Achilles in the playoffs last January. But if he needs more time, that opens a door for Willis, a former seventh-round pick who has spent the last three seasons stuck on the edge of the roster.
Willis came out of Oklahoma with a reputation as a tough, physical tight end who didn’t shy away from contact as a blocker or receiver. That profile has not translated into much production in San Francisco, though.
Across 23 regular-season games, he has not caught a pass and has been targeted only three times. Most of his work has come on special teams.
That alone probably won’t be enough to secure him a spot.
At the moment, Willis looks like the No. 4 tight end behind Kittle, Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell. Add Hayden Rucci and the newly signed Josiah Deguara, and the competition for what appears to be a thin final roster spot gets crowded fast. Willis has lived in that practice-squad-to-53-man-roster cycle before, but the payoff has been minimal.
That leaves him in a tough spot heading into Week 1. If the 49ers decide they’ve seen enough and want to go in a different direction, Willis could be the odd man out.
But if Kittle’s injury lingers into the first few weeks, Willis suddenly becomes more useful as a reserve. He still wouldn’t be the featured option - Tonges already has that role - but his standing on the depth chart would improve.
It’s an unusual situation for a player to benefit from a teammate’s absence, but that may be the only path left for Willis to stay with the 49ers a little longer.
In Other News...
Deebo Samuel Reunion Pushes 49ers Into Rare NFL Territory
Deebo Samuel is back in the Bay Area after the 49ers brought him in on a one-year deal, reuniting the wide receiver with the franchise that drafted him and watched him become one of its most recognizable offensive pieces over six seasons. After a year away with the Washington Commanders, Samuel returns to a familiar setting and a roster that has leaned for years on veteran skill talent to keep its offense versatile and difficult to defend.
The reunion also puts San Francisco in a striking bit of NFL company, with the possibility of opening a game with five non-quarterback skill players who are 30 or older. It is the kind of roster wrinkle that speaks to where the 49ers are in their competitive window, trying to squeeze one more productive stretch out of a core that has already carried them deep into multiple seasons and now has Samuel back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Need Alfred Collins To Deliver On A Crucial Year 2
The 49ers got a useful camp update when defensive tackle Alfred Collins was officially activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list and joined the team for its first padded practice of the second training camp session. Collins had been working his way back from a shoulder injury, and his return comes at a point when the team is beginning to sort out what it has along the defensive line and how the younger pieces fit into the bigger picture.
For San Francisco, Collins is one of the more important second-year players to watch because this is the stage where availability starts to matter as much as potential. General manager John Lynch had already signaled that Collins was expected back for this stretch of camp, so the next step is simply getting him through the work and seeing whether he can make up for the lost time. [Read more 🡒]