The San Francisco 49ers are signing Doug Kramer Jr., who was one of three centers the team worked out this past Friday. The corresponding move was to release Nick Zakelj, their 6th-round pick from 2022 who played in 2024 but didn’t really contribute in a meaningful way outside of that lost season.
Zakelj had missed the last week or so of practice with an elbow injury. He signed a one-year extension this past February.
Kramer Jr. was drafted the same year and in the same round as Zakelj. He was with
the Chicago Bears initially and has also spent time with the Cardinals and the Seahawks, where he was most recently released from Seattle’s practice squad in December 2025. Kramer Jr. has appeared in 18 games during his four-year career.
Kramer Jr., 28, checks in at 6’2″, 299 pounds. The 49ers are as thin as it gets up front. Zakelj wasn’t practicing, and Carver Willis and Brett Toth are both in the concussion protocol. With a joint practice coming up against the Titans as well as a preseason game, the team knows they need a body who can practice and play.
