49ers Activate LB Aaron Lynch
As expected, the 49ers have activated linebacker Aaron Lynch. To make room, the team has officially placed linebacker NaVorro Bowman on injured reserve. 
Lynch was suspended without pay for the first month of the season after running afoul of the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Lynch, 23, has appeared in 30 games for SF over the last two years with 16 total starts. In his rookie year, Lynch made a mark when he tallied 23 tackles and 6 sacks. In 2015, he improved on those numbers in a 14-game season, racking up 38 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Now, he’ll rejoin a Niners team that has totaled just seven sacks through four games.
The Niners announced on Wednesday that Bowman is done for the year after suffering a torn Achilles.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
14 Players Returning From Suspension
Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.
The following players have completed their suspensions:
- QB Tom Brady, Patriots
- DL Armonty Bryant, free agent (waived by the Browns today)
- CB Jalen Collins, Falcons
- LB Aaron Colvin, Jaugars
- DT Marcell Dareus, Bills
- T Seantrel Henderson, Bills
- DE Arthur Jones, Colts
- DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
- LB Aaron Lynch, 49ers
- DE Rob Ninkovich, Patriots
- G Chris Scott, Panthers
- DL Damion Square, Chargers
- T Zach Sterup, free agent
- TE Darren Waller, Ravens
The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.
Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/3/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Nordly Capi (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Mike James
- Cut: RB George Winn
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: FB Joe Kerridge (Twitter link via Rob Demovskiy of ESPN.com)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB JaCorey Shepherd (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Cut: G Darrell Greene
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Daryl Richardson
- Cut: DB Jacob Hagen
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB DuJuan Harris
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: QB Jake Heaps (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Antwaun Woods (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com)
- Cut: WR Jordan Leslie
Washington Redskins
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
- Cut: CB Lloyd Carrington
49ers LB NaVorro Bowman Done For Season
Awful news for the 49ers as linebacker NaVorro Bowman is done for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the team announced. Bowman left Sunday’s game against the Cowboys with the injury and an MRI confirmed the team’s worst fears. 
Bowman exited early on Sunday after a non-contact injury to his leg, which is usually not a good sign. Bowman also suffered a left leg injury in the 2013 NFC title game against Seattle, so he is no stranger to adversity.
Bowman has played 20 games since returning from the gruesome injury that sidelined him throughout 2014. The 49ers underwent significant changes while he was shelved, but the 28-year-old inside linebacker still returned and garnered first-team All-Pro acclaim last season. The 49ers then signed Bowman to a four-year, $44MM extension that stands to keep him in San Francisco through the 2022 season.
Bowman has four first-team All-Pro honors to his credit despite playing in just five full seasons, a remarkable and rare feat. Bowman earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2011, ’12, ’13 and ’15. After missing the entire 2014 campaign, he made 154 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season for a rebuilding San Francisco operation.
Bowman registered eight tackles and a sack, his first of the season, before his day came to a premature end on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Fear NaVorro Bowman Tore Achilles
49ers cornerstone linebacker NaVorro Bowman left Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, and he’s scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
The team’s fear is a torn Achilles’ tendon for the seventh-year linebacker, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Bowman told Maiocco his MRI will be on the Achilles in question, which caused Bowman to leave the game after sustaining the injury on a non-contact sequence.
While it’s the same left leg Bowman damaged against the Seahawks nearly three years ago, Maiocco notes this injury is not related to what happened in the 2013 NFC title game.
Bowman has played 20 games since returning from the gruesome malady that sidelined him throughout 2014. The 49ers underwent significant changes while he was shelved, but the 28-year-old inside linebacker still returned and garnered first-team All-Pro acclaim last season. The 49ers then signed Bowman to a four-year, $44MM extension that stands to keep him in San Francisco through the 2022 season.
The former third-round pick and Patrick Willis‘ longtime running mate during the 49ers’ run to NFC championship games, Bowman has four first-team All-Pro honors to his credit despite playing in just five full seasons, giving him one of the greatest such ratios in NFL history for any position. Bowman earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2011, ’12, ’13 and ’15. After missing the entire 2014 campaign, he made 154 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season for a rebuilding San Francisco operation.
Bowman registered eight tackles and a sack, his first of the season, Sunday before leaving the game.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Cut DuJuan Harris For Third Time
- The 49ers cut running back DuJuan Harris and signed tight end Je’Ron Hamm, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. This represents the third time the Niners have cut Harris, a former Packer for three years, this season. Hamm could be needed for emergency duty, with Vance McDonald and Garrett Celek listed as questionable for San Francisco’s Week 4 tilt against Dallas. Hamm saw action in one game with Washington last season and spent a game on the 49ers’ active roster in 2015 as well.
Anthony Davis Could Owe The 49ers More Than $2MM
- After retiring, Anthony Davis owes the 49ers quite a bit of money, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Davis owes $1.235MM for 2016, which is 14/17th of his salary for the year. Then, if he remains retired, he’ll owe $1.5MM in 2017. The lineman is already familiar with the process of refunding San Francisco after giving back $1.667MM in 2015. Davis could return to football at some point, but it sounds like he is over the day-to-day grind that it takes to play in the NFL.
[SOURCE LINK]
49ers Place Anthony Davis On Exempt/Left Squad
- The 49ers officially placed offensive lineman Anthony Davis on the exempt/left squad list after he retired yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Davis no longer counts against San Francisco’s 53-man roster.
49ers To Sign Keshawn Martin
The 49ers are signing wide receiver/kick returner Keshawn Martin, as freelance NFL reporter Rand Getlin tweets. Interestingly, it will be a two-year contract for Martin. 
Last year, Martin averaged 11.2 yards per reception with New England, though that came on a limited sample size of 24 receptions. Prior to the 2015 season, Martin spent his first three seasons with the Texans and saw the field in every regular season contest from 2012-2014. For his career, Martin has averaged 25.2 yards per kick return and it will be interesting to see how Martin is split between offense and special teams in SF.
As of this writing, the 49ers also have Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton, Jeremy Kerley, Rod Streater, and Aaron Burbridge on the WR depth chart.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Waiver Priority Now Based On 2016 Record
We’re coming up on Week 4 of the NFL season and that means that waiver claim priority will be based on the current league standings instead of last year’s. Of course, waiver priority is based on the inverted NFL standings, which have built in tiebreakers to sort out the many logjams that naturally occur.
Throughout the offseason and the first three weeks of the regular season, the Titans enjoyed top priority thanks to their 3-13 finish last year. Now, we have a brand new pecking order. Here is a full rundown of the current waiver claim priority, which will change from week to week:
1. Jaguars
2. Saints
3. Bears
4. Browns
5. Chargers
6. Lions
7. Jets
8. Cardinals
9. Bills
10. Colts
11. Dolphins
12. 49ers
13. Buccaneers
14. Bengals
15. Titans
16. Redskins
17. Panthers
18. Falcons
19. Cowboys
20. Giants
21. Raiders
22. Packers
23. Chiefs
24. Rams
25. Seahawks
26. Texans
27. Steelers
28. Ravens
29. Eagles
30. Broncos
31. Vikings
32. Patriots