The 49ers pared their roster to 53 players today. Yes, injured lists were a key part of the journey. Here is how San Francisco reached the regular-season limit:
Released:
CB Eli Apple
DL Quinton Bell
S Ashtyn Davis
RB Khalil Herbert
WR KhaDarel Hodge
WR Trenton Irwin
LB Deion Jones
G Robert Jones
OL Doug Kramer
DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
T Brandon Parker
WR Malik Turner
P Corliss Waitman
LS Jon Weeks
Waived:
OL Isaac Alcaron
DL Evan Anderson
TE Khalil Dinkins
DL Bryson Eason
DL Viliami Fehoko Jr.
LB Jalen Graham
WR Wesley Grimes
DL Jah Joyner
CB Darrell Luter Jr.
QB Adrian Martinez (story)
RB Sincere McCormick
S Patrick McMorris
OL Drake Nugent
WR Will Pauling
CB Jakob Robinson
TE Hayden Rucci
S Jalen Stroman
DL Sebastian Valdez
LB Larry Worth III
Placed on IR:
OL Brett Toth
OL Nick Zakelj
Placed on IR (return designation):
WR Christian Kirk
T Austin Pleasants
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
RB Isaac Guerendo
DE Mykel Williams
Williams’ status is the top takeaway here. The 49ers will be without their 2025 first-round edge rusher until at least Week 5, though a recent rule adjustment would allow the Georgia alum/Nick Bosa sidekick to practice after two weeks. Williams is still recovering from the ACL tear he sustained in Week 9. While Bosa avoided the active/PUP list to open camp, Williams did not and will shift to the reserve/PUP list — a regular-season designation.
Williams and Guerendo will not count against the 49ers’ eight regular-season injury activations, but Kirk and Pleasants will. An aging 49ers skill-position cadre — which features Mike Evans (33), George Kittle (32), Demarcus Robinson (31), Deebo Samuel (30), Christian McCaffrey (30) somehow features Kirk as the group’s sixth-oldest player; he will turn 30 this season. Kirk suffered a calf strain and will be shut down for at least four more weeks.
The 49ers followed the Saints in cutting a player they just traded for. The teams made a Deion Jones-for-Zamir White trade, but both clubs moved on via release. Both players, however, are practice squad-eligible and do not need to clear waivers. The other Jones the 49ers released (Robert) was at one point the frontrunner to claim the team’s starting left guard gig. But rookie Carver Willis beat him out. Jones could serve as depth on the practice squad. The other member of the LG competition, Connor Colby, remains on the roster.
Some 49ers roster gymnastics, likely other players hitting IR, will lead Waitman and Weeks back onto the roster, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco tweets. The 49ers are also hoping to bring Dinkins back via a P-squad deal should he clear waivers, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.