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Getty San Francisco 49ers' head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media at AAMI Park in Melbourne on September 9, 2026. The first-ever regular-season NFL game in Australia takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11, 2026, featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t take the field this weekend as they enjoyed their Week 8 bye after posting a 6-1 record through their first seven games.
Now, the 49ers have begun preparing for their Week 9 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Ahead of the practice week, the 49ers have made a string of roster moves following their trade for three-time Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner last week.
San Francisco signed wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge to the practice squad on Monday, then made another addition roughly 24 hours later.
49ers Sign 2-Time National Champion
On Tuesday, the 49ers signed 27-year-old pass rusher Robert Beal Jr. to their practice squad. Beal Jr. was a two-time national champion with the Georgia Bulldogs.
The 49ers drafted Beal in the fifth round in 2023, and he spent his first three NFL seasons with the organization before beginning the 2026 campaign with the Miami Dolphins.
The #49ers announced they have signed Robert Beal Jr. to the practice squad.
📰: https://t.co/jFpfX06CpA https://t.co/nowUjk7yk0
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 3, 2026
Beal Jr. has appeared in 27 games throughout his career, making one start while recording 25 tackles and 1.0 sack. He’s also appeared in four postseason games with San Francisco.
This season, he appeared in two games for Miami before the Dolphins released him on Oct. 30, paving the way for him to rejoin the 49ers.
Beal Jr.’s Time at Georgia
Beal Jr. spent his entire five-year college career at Georgia from 2018-2022, becoming a key part of the Bulldogs’ defense after arriving as a five-star recruit out of Peachtree Ridge High School.
In 2021, he played on a historic Georgia defense that featured Travon Walker, Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt. Beal Jr. led the team in sacks that season with 6.5.
The Bulldogs won the national championship that year and followed it up with another title in 2022.
Across his college career, Beal Jr. appeared in 53 games and recorded 72 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor's degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan