HEADLINES

Brayden Willis

49ers To Place G Ben Bartch On IR

September 17th, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Post-Laken Tomlinson, the 49ers have prioritized the edges of their offensive line. Trent Williams has stood as a $20MM-per-year blocker since 2021, and the team gave Colton McKivitz another extension after he had replaced top-10 investment Mike McGlinchey at right tackle. That has meant turnover among low-cost players inside. Ben Bartch is part of the latest wave, but he has not made it far in his first season as a full-time San Francisco starter.

Entering the season as the 49ers’ Aaron Banks replacement at left guard, Bartch did not make it out of Week 2. The former Jaguar suffered a high ankle sprain against the Saints, and Kyle Shanahan said he would miss extensive time. That will come to fruition, with the 49ers placing Bartch on IR today, per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Noah Furtado.

This injury is expected to sideline Bartch between four and six weeks, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. The team will use IR as a result. The 49ers have seven injury activations remaining, having used one of their August IR-return designations on defensive tackle Kevin Givens. While Givens already counts toward that eight-activation total due to a summer designation being used, Bartch will not count toward that number until he is brought back to the 53-man roster.

Tied to a one-year, $1.34MM contract, Bartch beat out Nick Zakelj for the 49ers’ LG job in Week 1. However, seventh-round rookie Connor Colby replaced Bartch when he went down in New Orleans. He will start in Week 3, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. Zakelj did not make San Francisco’s 53-man roster but remains on the practice squad. While the young blocker remains an option to provide insurance, the 49ers did not sign him to the active roster in a corresponding move. Tight end Brayden Willis will take Bartch’s place instead.

Colby only arrived as the No. 249 overall pick, but he worked as a four-year starter at Iowa. Blocking for the likes of Kaleb Johnson and Tyler Goodson with the Hawkeyes, Colby earned first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2024 and third-team recognition in 2023. Colby made 50 starts at Iowa, providing interesting appeal for a seventh-round pick as a fill-in option. Colby will work opposite 2024 third-round pick Dominick Puni, and it will be worth monitoring if Bartch will return as a starter or a swingman.

A 2020 Jaguars fourth-round pick, Bartch has been in the 49ers’ system since being added shortly after the 2023 trade deadline. Bartch has made 24 career starts, including two last season with the 49ers, but will see his first run as a full-timer since 2022 paused for a while.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/25

September 13th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Here’s are today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears 

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

With one quarterback on the reserve/non-football injury list and starter Brock Purdy inactive, Martinez comes up with the potential to appear in his first ever NFL game, though Niners fans hope his presence will not be necessary.

Bell will be active for tomorrow’s game as the Seahawks work to replace second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori in the secondary. Emmanwori has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Similarly, Wallow will be part of the Broncos’ efforts to fill in for injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who has been ruled out for the second week in a row.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

August 27th, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Signed: 

Claimed:

Released from IR (via settlement):

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Signed:

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

49ers Cut 25 Players, Set 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers had some work to do to get down to their initial 53-man roster. The front office achieved that daunting task this afternoon, as the organization announced the following moves:

Released:

Waived:

Activated from active/PUP:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

Placed on reserve/suspended:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on IR:

Punter Thomas Morstead was cut today, but it sounds like the veteran won’t be a free agent for long. Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that Morstead is expected to re-sign with the organization. The 39-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Jets, including a 2023 campaign where he led the NFL in punts and punting yards.

Barrows also notes that Jacob Cowing made the initial roster but is expected to land on injured reserve as he nurses a hamstring injury. This could open the door for one of the team’s cut WRs to land back on the active roster. That grouping includes Russell Gage, who had more than 1,500 receiving yards for the Falcons between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Elsewhere on offense, Jeff Wilson‘s reunion with the 49ers proved to be short lived after he joined the organization earlier this month. The veteran spent the past two-plus seasons in Miami, but he had a successful run in San Francisco to begin his career. This included a 2020 campaign where he compiled 733 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/22/25

April 22nd, 2025 at 8:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

  • Waived: OL Trevor Reid

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

The Steelers let Najee Harris walk in free agency, passing on re-signing their four-year starting RB despite the Chargers only giving him a one-year, $5.25MM deal. That base value is nearly identical to Warren’s 2025 compensation, set for $5.35MM by virtue of being tendered at the second-round level.

A former UDFA, Warren has served as Harris’ flashier sidekick for three seasons. The former Utah State and Oklahoma State back has proven a find, making key contributions off the bench while on a UDFA deal. Warren, 26, totaled 1,154 scrimmage yards in 2023 and 821 (in 15 games) last year. He will be set to team with Kenneth Gainwell, who is also on a one-year agreement. Pittsburgh has since been linked to adding a starter-level RB in the draft.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 2/18/25

February 18th, 2025 at 8:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Tuesday’s free agent tender decisions:

ERFAs

Tendered:

The 49ers made the decision today to tender all of their exclusive rights free agents today. The move restricts the seven players from negotiating with other teams. The players will have the choice to accept the offer and play for the 49ers or not play football in 2025.

San Francisco also has two restricted free agents: linebacker Curtis Robinson and running back Jordan Mason. It is yet to be seen what the team will do with those players who, if tendered, would be allowed to negotiate with other teams but would have to give the 49ers the chance to match any offer.

49ers Place S Talanoa Hufanga On IR; K Jake Moody An IR Candidate

October 9th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 9: The 49ers are following through with an IR move for one of these regulars. Hufanga is heading back to IR, the team announced. Finishing last season sidelined due to an ACL tear, Hufanga is expected back this season. But the All-Pro safety will be shut down for at least four games. The 49ers signed tight end Brayden Willis from their practice squad to take Hufanga’s roster spot.

OCTOBER 8: Talanoa Hufanga has managed to make a pair of appearances this season for the 49ers, but his next game action will come after a notable absence. The All-Pro safety is dealing with ligament damage in his wrist, head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday.

[RELATED: 49ers Place Yetur Gross-Matos On IR]

As a result, Hufanga is facing an absence of roughly one month. A stint on injured reserve would ensure at least a four-game absence, making that a consideration in this case. Shanahan added (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) the team has yet to decide if an IR stint will be in store.

In either case, today’s news is unwelcomed given Hufanga’s importance to the 49ers’ secondary and his missed time from last year. The 25-year-old suffered a torn ACL in November, limiting him to 10 regular season games and sidelining him for San Francisco’s run to the Super Bowl. Hufanga was activated from the PUP list at the end of the summer, though, making him eligible to play within the first four weeks of the campaign upon returning to practice.

The former fifth-rounder made his season debut in Week 3 before missing the following contest. Hufanga then suffered his latest injury early in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, a game which dropped the 49ers’ record to 2-3. Rebounding from that poor start will be challenging as the team deals with several key absences on defense.

In other injury news, kicker Jake Moody – who is dealing with a high ankle sprain – is facing a similar recovery timeline, per Shanahan. He too could land on IR, something which would result in an extended audition period for the team’s new kicker. Matthew Wright is now in place as Moody’s replacement, having agreed to a practice squad deal earlier today.

The 49ers designated defensive tackle ​Kalia Davis for return from IR before the roster cutdown deadline. That move used one of their eight activations for the year (although Davis has not yet been brought back into the fold), with running back Christian McCaffrey, cornerback Ambry Thomas and Jon Feliciano all still on injured reserve. First-round rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall remains on the reserve/NFI list for now; all four members of that group will use up an activation once they are healthy. The 49ers must therefore be careful with IR designations moving forward, but one or both of Hufanga and Moody could be shelved for four games soon.

49ers TE George Kittle Out Sunday With Hamstring Injury

September 21st, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The hits just keep coming to the 49ers offense. First, preseason injuries left San Francisco without starting guard Jon Feliciano and rookie first-round wideout Ricky Pearsall. Then, star running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve after being unable to start the season healthy. Then, a calf injury to versatile receiver Deebo Samuel robbed the team of another weapon for a presumed several weeks. All this while the team’s other leading wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, struggles to find his groove after the preseason holdout for his new contract.

Now, the 49ers’ star tight end, George Kittle, will be the next key offensive piece in San Francisco to miss time. According to a team announcement, Kittle has been downgraded from doubtful to out as he deals with a hamstring injury. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds to the report, claiming that the injury does not appear to be serious, and the team is hopeful that he’ll be able to return to the field in Week 4. Hamstring injuries, though, have a tendency to linger, and even if he is able to shake it off enough to play next week, there’s a chance that he may not be 100 percent if the injury persists.

Quarterback Brock Purdy‘s supporting cast now consists of Jordan Mason at running back, Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Chris Conley at receiver, and Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges at tight end. Mason has been phenomenal in his replacement duties for McCaffrey. His 247 rushing yards through two weeks ranks second only to J.K. Dobbins (266 yards) for most in the NFL. With Samuel and Kittle gone, Jennings enters Week 3 as the team’s leading active receiver with 101 yards over two weeks. He’s followed in that statistic by Aiyuk (71 yards) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (59 yards). Kittle is the only skill player with a receiving touchdown this season for the 49ers. Saubert (26 yards) is the only other tight end on the roster with a target.

In addition to Kittle’s absence, San Francisco also announced tomorrow’s standard gameday practice squad elevations. Tight end Brayden Willis and defensive end Sam Okuayinonu will get the honors of joining the active roster against the Rams. Willis will add some depth behind Saubert and Tonges, while Okuayinonu will add some depth in pass rushing situations for the second time this season. Both players will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s divisional matchup.

49ers Activate Talanoa Hufanga, Move Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two 49ers remain out out of the mix (but definitely not out of headlines, in Brandon Aiyuk‘s case), though both standouts are still employed by the team. Though, Trent Williams remains on the reserve/did not report list. Here is how the defending NFC champs pared their roster to 53 by today’s deadline:

Released:

Waived:

Activated from active/PUP list:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (return designation):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Hufanga’s status represents a positive development for a 49ers team in need of them. The All-Pro safety had been rumored to join Greenlaw on the reserve/PUP list. Avoiding it does not guarantee Hufanga will be ready for Week 1, but it keeps the fourth-year defender in the equation for the 49ers’ first four games. They are choosing to carry Hufanga on the 53-man roster and go week-to-week with him. This undoubtedly led to Walker being moved off the roster.

Conversely, Mitchell’s time with the team may be over. San Francisco surprised most by vaulting the 2021 sixth-round pick into a starting role to open that season, dropping Trey Sermon to a backup spot. Mitchell operated as San Francisco’s preferred starter — as long as he was healthy, which was sporadic — until the October 2022 Christian McCaffrey trade. The 49ers now have Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo as CMC backups.

A hamstring injury has sidelined Mitchell, potentially opening the door to an injury settlement. Davis will be able to return this season for the 49ers; Mitchell’s designation would prevent that. The 49ers are down to seven IR activations as a result of the Davis decision. A 2022 sixth-round pick, Davis remains in the team’s plans despite injuries largely keeping him out of action. Davis has played just three NFL games, and he suffered another injury — a knee issue requiring surgery — during camp.

The 49ers, who will bring many of these players back to the practice squad, cut two recent third-round picks — Gray and Latu. The latter has not played yet as a pro, missing his entire rookie season with an ACL tear. Gray has been unable to carve out a role on a 49ers team that has seen Jauan Jennings stick as the team’s WR3; rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing are also in the mix now.

49ers Rumors: Willis, Floyd, Ward

May 27th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers have one of the NFL’s more complete rosters with few holes, if any. While tight end is certainly not a hole on the roster with George Kittle bringing his All-Pro talent to the offense, the team will be looking to fill in the depth behind him after the departures of Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley in free agency. Both former San Francisco backups signed with the Falcons this offseason.

According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, second-year tight end Brayden Willis is making a case for the TE2 job in 2024. Willis, a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma, was the second tight end the team drafted last year following Cameron Latu, whom the team drafted in the third round out of Alabama. While Latu spent his rookie season recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, Willis got depth experience with some special teams play and minimal snaps on offense.

The team does have some experience at the position in veteran free agent addition Eric Saubert, who can step in if Willis and Latu fail to make an impact during their sophomore campaigns. Local Cal-product Jake Tonges and Furman undrafted free agent Mason Pline serve as under the radar prospects at the position who will likely find their way to the practice squad. Some combination of Willis, Saubert, and Latu will likely be used to replace the backup production lost in Woerner and Dwelley’s departures.

Here are a few more rumors coming out of the Bay Area in recent weeks:

  • San Francisco may have added the complimentary pass rusher across from Nick Bosa that they’ve been looking for this offseason in Leonard Floyd. That signing can be directly attributed to another offseason addition: the hiring of assistant head coach Brandon Staley. Staley worked directly with Floyd in Chicago as the Bears outside linebackers coach in 2017 and 2018 and in Los Angeles as the Rams defensive coordinator in 2020. With Staley’s backing, Floyd became a priority free agent target this offseason for the 49ers.
  • Coming off of a second-team All-Pro season, cornerback Charvarius Ward is entering a contract year with the 49ers. In a recent interview on the Up & Adams show, Ward told Kay Adams that he’s “trying to get that bag.” He’s in no rush, though, as he said he’ll have to have his best year and, hopefully, get paid in 2025. He also shared an encouraging update on his injury status with Adams, telling her that he’ll “be ready for training camp for sure.”
Load More Posts