Analyzing 49ers’ initial 53-man roster for 2026, and what moves will come next
“Cruz, a fifth-round pick who has all the measurables, is being groomed for the future.
Willis appears likely to open the season as the starting left guard.”
49ers 53-man roster: A trade, some surprises and several moves still to come (paywall) “Thompson, out of Illinois, wasn’t drafted because of his odd build, the story went. Niners right tackle Colton McKivitz said the first time he saw Thompson, he thought he was an offensive
lineman. But Thompson quickly made an impression with his ability to get low and move people out of his way. Halton, a fourth-round rookie, also had a very good camp and preseason, so the 49ers are going with five defensive tackles.
Bosa, meanwhile, would ideally return to practice Monday with the tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee feeling better, or the Niners will have some serious issues with their pass rush.”
49ers’ initial 53-man roster announced, but more moves ahead before opener (paywall)
“Players with four years of service or more are not subjected to the waiver wire, which means they have the freedom to sign with any team if released. As the 49ers did last year with former punter Thomas Morstead, it is a common practice to release a vested veteran on cutdown day and then re-sign him the next day when more room can be made on the roster by another IR placement or two.
Remember: Only two players, max, can go to IR and be designated to return on cutdown day.
A total of 15 players on the initial 53-man roster have a known injury, including cornerback Renardo Green (hamstring), wide receiver Mike Evans (groin), safety Malik Mustapha (hamstring strain), wide receiver Jacob Cowing (groin), tight end Brayden Willis (concussion), quarterback Kurtis Rourke (ribs), nickel back Upton Stout (hip flexor), nickel back Nate Hobbs (groin), cornerback Ephesians Prysock (shoulder), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger), linebacker Nick Martin (hamstring), linebacker Luke Gifford (hamstring), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle), guard Dominick Puni (concussion), rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton (ankle), rookie defensive end Romello Height (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (soreness).
Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted a number of the aforementioned players could return to practice this week.”
49ers trade for offensive line depth after releasing Rob Jones
“Patterson was drafted by former 49ers offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik back in 2023. As a rookie, Patterson started the first eight games of the season at center. Patterson suffered a fractured fibula in his right leg in Week 8, which cost him the rest of his rookie year in 2023. In 2024, Patterson played 537 snaps at center for Houston. He essentially started every game from Week 10 on that year.
During the 2025 regular season, Patterson played 267 snaps at left guard and 67 at center. Last preseason, he was exclusively a center. Patterson spent time playing left and right guard this past preseason for the Texans.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Patterson had an above-average blown block rate of 1.5% in 2024. He was close to perfect in pass protection, with only two blown blocks on 341 attempts. Most of his struggles came in the running game. That blown block rate jumped to 3.3%. League average is around 2.7%.”
NFL insider shuts down speculation about 49ers TE George Kittle setback
“49ers TE George Kittle is expected to practice this week as he continues his efforts to play in the opener in Australia against the Rams,” Schefter wrote. “Kittle hasn’t had any setbacks in his return from a torn Achilles, and still has a legitimate chance to play the opener, per sources.”
