The San Francisco 49ers just cut veteran defensive tackle Naquan Jones, making room as Dre Greenlaw’s suspension officially got lifted by the NFL. This move reflects a deeper roster squeeze, especially with wide receiver Christian Kirk potentially coming off injured reserve soon.
The Defensive Line Gets a Shake-Up
Pelissero from The Ringer broke the news about Naquan Jones, confirming his release to free up a roster spot. It is clear that the return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw from suspension was the immediate catalyst for one of those spots. But hold up, there is more to it on the defensive line. The decision to part ways with Jones also ties into James Thompson getting back from his own injury. The Niners have been rolling with Osa Odighizuwa, Sebastian Valdez, Gracen Halton, and Thompson on the interior, plus Keion White getting a decent chunk of snaps at defensive tackle. So while Jones is out, Greenlaw’s back, and the D-line depth seems to be shaking itself out.
Wide Receiver Room Woes and a Big Return Looming
Now, let’s talk about the wide receiver situation, because things are getting tight. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had some interesting stuff to say about Christian Kirk’s potential return after Week 6’s game: “Yeah, he’s a possibility for next week. He had two good practices in. It was just his first two practices of the year. We were down on wideouts, so it was still something we discussed, but we decided to give it another week.” This tells you everything you need to know about how much they need him back on the field. Kirk brings that veteran presence and can win at multiple levels, which is HUGE. They will need to make another roster move once they activate Kirk from injured reserve, which means more tough decisions are coming.
The kicker? Mike Evans is dealing with Achilles soreness. It is not long term, which is a relief, but the Niners would be smart to give him two weeks to truly recover. Without Evans, they are missing that true X-receiver. In their game against the Commanders, the wide receiver snap counts tell the story: Jordan Watkins played 47 snaps, Brandin Cooks got 31, Evans had 24 before his soreness, Jacob Cowing logged 15, and Malik Turner saw 3. Watkins is going to have to own that “X” role for at least another week. They really need Kirk to step up and provide some relief.
This roster juggling is all about getting healthy and maximizing talent. Keep an eye on that wide receiver room. When Kirk does get activated, it is going to be a huge boost for that offense, but it will mean another player is out the door. The immediate focus is getting Evans healthy and Kirk back into game shape. It is going to be an intense few weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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