The San Francisco 49ers roster underwent a couple of changes leading up to their Week 2 matchup vs. the New Orleans Saints.
San Francisco elevated quarterback Adrian Martinez from the practice squad to back up starting QB Mac Jones. They also brought up tight end Brayden Willis, who will work in as a third TE while George Kittle is on IR with a hamstring injury. Both Martinez and Willis will revert back to the practice squad after Sunday’s game.
That pair of elevations may be a good sign for wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who is questionable with a shoulder injury. Veteran Russell Gage is on the practice squad and played 28 snaps in Week 1 – the second-most on the team. By leaving him down, the 49ers will have Ricky Pearsall, Kendrick Bourne, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, rookie Jordan Watkins and Skyy Moore in their receiving corps.
Given that Watkins hasn’t played much football since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 1 of the preseason, and Moore is primarily a return specialist, it stands to reason Gage not coming up means the 49ers feel good about Jennings playing in New Orleans. The 49ers have numbers to not elevate a WR if Jennings is out, but there’s not a ton of reliability in that group. We’ll officially learn Jennings’ status for Week 2 when the 49ers announce their inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff.
The 49ers also promoted linebacker Curtis Robinson from the practice squad to the active roster. He was a standard practice squad elevation in Week 1, but now he’ll be a permanent member of the roster as a primary special teams contributor. In a corresponding move to clear a spot on the 53-man roster, defensive end Robert Beal was waived.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Beal was back on the 49ers practice squad if he clears waivers. He’s been with the team since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Beal was a healthy scratch in the season opener, which put the writing on the wall that he was expendable in the 49ers defensive line rotation.
The 49ers and Saints are scheduled to kick off at 10:00am Pacific Time from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
More 49ers: Kyle Shanahan is confident in 49ers backup plan if Trent Williams can’t play vs. Saints
