Troy Fumagalli

Vikings Place Nick Mullens On IR, Bring Back Sean Mannion; Kene Nwangwu Designated For Return

In addition to making the Justin Jefferson IR move official, the Vikings made a few more notable transactions Wednesday. The team now has a familiar face back in the quarterback room.

Sean Mannion is returning on a practice squad deal, the team announced. Kirk Cousins‘ on-again, off-again backup spent last season on the Seahawks’ practice squad but has not been with a team since January. The team also moved Cousins’ current backup, Nick Mullens, to IR.

Mullens is battling a back injury, one that kept him from dressing in Week 5. The former 49ers spot starter has been with the Vikings for the past two seasons, arriving as an August 2022 trade acquisition and backing up Cousins last season. Minnesota re-signed the seventh-year veteran to a two-year, $4MM contract in March. This move will drop Mullens off the 53-man roster for at least four weeks.

Mannion, 31, spent the better part of three seasons with the Vikings. Initially signing with Minnesota after his Rams rookie contract expired in 2019, Mannion operated as Cousins’ backup from 2019-20. While Mannion signed with the Seahawks in August 2021, he ended up back in place as Cousins’ top reserve — over third-rounder Kellen Mond, who quickly wore out his welcome with the team — soon after. The Vikings released Mannion in August 2022, going with Mullens after the Browns trade.

These transactions leave Cousins and fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall as the only QBs on Minnesota’s 53-man roster. Mannion would make sense as an elevation for Week 6, seeing as he has spent extensive time in this role. That said, Mannion was Minnesota’s QB2 before Kevin O’Connell‘s arrival. The ex-Jared Goff St. Louis/Los Angeles QB2 did play under former O’Connell Rams coworker Shane Waldron in Seattle. This is basically a moot point, as Cousins as not missed a game due to injury in his six Vikings seasons.

The Vikings also designated running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu for return from IR. Nwangwu hit IR shortly after cutdown day. The third-year back has been Minnesota’s kick returner for the past two seasons. The Iowa State product already has three kick-return touchdowns since debuting; he finished as a second-team All-Pro last season. Only one other player — Nyheim Hines — has more than one kick-return TD since 2021, highlighting the upgrade the Vikes’ special teams could receive once Nwangwu is activated. The Vikings, who have not used any IR activations this season, have three weeks to activate the 25-year-old specialist.

To wrap this brigade of Wednesday Minnesota moves, the team signed N’Keal Harry to the active roster from its practice squad. The former Patriots first-rounder has played in two games as a P-squad elevation. The team also signed receiver Trishton Jackson from its P-squad. Tight end Troy Fumagalli and wideout Dan Chisena will join Mannion in catching on with the team’s taxi squad.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/26/23

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: S A.J. Finley

New England Patriots

  • Released: CB William Hooper

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Geron Christian is back in Houston for his second stint with the team, as the lineman started eight of his 14 appearances for the Texans in 2021. The former Washington third-round pick spent the 2022 campaign with the Chiefs, where he mostly played on special teams in his 10 games.

A pair of notable running backs found jobs today. Deon Jackson joined the Browns practice squad after getting cut by the Colts last week. The RB started Week 1 for Indy, and he ultimately finished his stint with the team having collected 504 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 27 games. Meanwhile, Jeremy McNichols is heading to San Francisco after having spent the past two seasons as one of Derrick Henry‘s backups. The former fifth-round pick got into 30 games between 2021 and 2022, collecting 655 yards from scrimmage.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

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 49ersCardinalsRams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Placed on IR:

Signed: 

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad: 

49ers Place Nick Bosa On Reserve/Did Not Report List, Pare Roster To 53

The 49ers joined the Chiefs in placing their best defensive player on the reserve/did not report list due to a holdout and joined the other 30 teams in finalizing their 53-man roster. Some changes are expected, with veterans pledged to stay. But here is how the 49ers reached 53:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/did not report list:

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

The 49ers are planning to re-sign Hyder and Bryant once they make other roster moves, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Both are vested veterans who are not subject to waivers. With Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu gone, Hyder figures to be a key piece as a rotational defensive end. He is with the 49ers for the third time in four seasons. After an 8.5-sack slate in 2020, Hyder signed with the Seahawks. But Seattle released him in 2021, leading the veteran back to the Bay Area.

San Francisco’s 53-man roster will include Bosa soon, and this holdout does not appear as contentious as the Chris Jones-Chiefs standoff. John Lynch has indicated the 49ers will waive Bosa’s fines for missing training camp — an option the 49ers have due to Bosa being tied to a rookie contract. While the 49ers changed defensive coordinators, bringing in Steve Wilks to replace DeMeco Ryans, D-line coach Kris Kocurek remains in place. Bosa should be able to hit the ground running once he returns, though the 49ers are running short on time here.

Gonzalez suffered a calf injury Kyle Shanahan said would keep him out a few weeks. With the veteran landing on IR, an injury settlement is likely. The 49ers used a third-round pick on Michigan kicker Jake Moody, but Barrows notes the strained quadriceps injury he suffered may keep him out of Week 1. On that note, the 49ers worked out Tristan Vizcaino and Taylor Russolino, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. Robbie Gould, the 49ers’ kicker for the past six seasons, remains unsigned.

49ers Sign DL Marlon Davidson, Re-Sign TE Troy Fumagalli

The 49ers confirmed on Monday that they have inked veteran quarterback Brandon Allen to a one-year deal. Two other additions have been made to their roster.

San Francisco has added Marlon Davidson to their defensive line rotation. The 24-year-old visited the 49ers in December, so it comes as little surprise that a deal has now been struck. Davidson entered the league with high expectations after a productive career at Auburn, but he was unable to translate his success to the NFL level in his first home.

A second-round pick of the Falcons, Davidson started just one of 19 games in Atlanta during his first two seasons there. He recorded only one sack, leaving his short- and long-term future with the team in doubt entering 2022. Knee surgery left him sidelined to begin the year, and Atlanta moved on in October. Davidson did not find a landing spot for the remainder of the campaign, so question marks remain about his recovery and ability to live up to his potential in the Bay Area.

The 49ers have already taken a flier on ex-Raider Clelin Ferrell this offseason, as the former top-five pick looks to rebuild his value. The same will now be true of Davidson, as he looks to carve out a role along a defensive front which added Javon Hargrave on a big-money deal in free agency. A strong showing in 2023 could boost his efforts to land a longer-term pact next offseason, with the 49ers or another interested team.

San Francisco also announced the return of tight end Troy Fumagalli. The 28-year-old signed with the 49ers last May, but was among the team’s final roster cuts in August. He then spent time on their practice squad, making him a familiar face as he hopes to crack the 53-man roster this time around. Fumagalli’s only regular season experience to date has come with the Broncos, but he will look to carve establish a role for himself in a TE room headed by George Kittle and which saw the addition of third-rounder Cameron Latu as well as seventh-rounder Brayden Willis during the draft.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers

Sharpe has bounced in recent years, and the 49ers will be his second team in 2022. The 27-year-old initially signed with the Bears in May, but did not see the field in Chicago. He will provide depth for a San Francisco team which has had fellow veteran Willie Snead see time on and off the taxi squad.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

49ers Set 53-Man Roster, Plan To Place S Jimmie Ward On IR

The 49ers’ 53-man roster is set, with a couple of exceptions. Multiple players included among Tuesday’s cuts will be back with the team. Some will also stick around via the practice squad. Here is how San Francisco reached the 53-man limit:

Released:

Waived:

Kroft and Willis will be on the 53-man roster soon, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, who notes (via Twitter) the two have agreed to re-sign with the 49ers. Each is a vested veteran, allowing them to skip the waiver process. A Bengals draftee, Kroft spent two seasons in Buffalo and was with the Jets in 2021. A rotational D-lineman, Willis has been with the 49ers since 2020.

These two will take the roster spots of Jimmie Ward and linebacker Curtis Robinson, who will each be placed on IR. By waiting until Wednesday to move each to IR, the 49ers will ensure Ward and Robinson can play in 2022. Ward suffered what appears to be a significant hamstring injury and will miss at least the first four games this season.

Hasty has resided as a fill-in back for the 49ers over the past two seasons; they have needed him in each. The team currently rosters Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price at running back. Snead and Turner signed with the 49ers this offseason; each has practice squad eligibility. Teams can carry up to six vested veterans on their 16-man taxi squads. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy beat out Sudfeld for the 49ers’ No. 3 QB job. Offset language exists in Sudfeld’s deal, Maiocco tweets, allowing the 49ers to potentially be off the hook for the $2MM they guaranteed him.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Tuesday that Jimmy Garoppoloback after taking a pay cut — will be Trey Lance‘s top backup. While this would have been quite the gamble, Shanahan said Purdy would have been Lance’s backup had Garoppolo not accepted the pay cut (Twitter link via Maiocco).

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/22

Here are today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/21

Tuesday afternoon marked the deadline for teams to cut down from 90 to 85 players. We’ll keep track of those cuts and the day’s other minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Jeff Badet

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team