49ers Notebook

Mykel Williams is back, and Matthew Judon paid for it

Williams is on the 53 with no game designation for Seattle, his first game since November. The roster shuffle that made room for him took a day and ended on the practice squad.

SK
Sam KezarOct 10, 20263 min read
Every call on this site goes on a public ledger and gets graded. The misses stay up.
Mykel Williams, in a red 49ers practice jersey, smiles toward a teammate in the foreground during a 2025 practice.

The 49ers activated Mykel Williams off the physically unable to perform list on Saturday and removed the questionable tag he carried into the weekend, the club announced at 1:18 p.m. He is on the 53 and set to play Sunday at Seattle, which would be his first game since the ACL tear the club dates to Week 9 of the 2025 season.

The roster spot was opened Friday, when the 49ers released Ogbo Okoronkwo. He was gone for about a day. On Saturday he was back on the practice squad and elevated for the game, so the defensive line that lost him Friday has him eligible again Sunday.

The 49ers are 4-0. Kickoff at Lumen Field is 1:25 p.m. Pacific on FOX.

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Greenlaw has drawn league discipline in three of his six games
49ers Notebook

Greenlaw has drawn league discipline in three of his six games

The NFL fined Dre Greenlaw $12,537 for unnecessary roughness, striking an opponent, after his attempt to punch the ball loose from Drake London landed on London's helmet in the 49ers' loss at Atlanta on Oct. 25. Running back Jordan James was fined $6,194 for unnecessary roughness, use of the helmet, in the same game. Neither play was penalized. It is Greenlaw's second fine of the season after a taunting fine against Denver, and between them he was ejected at Seattle and suspended for the Washington game.

Sam KezarOct 31, 20263 min read
The 49ers never hit Penix, and they gave Atlanta the ball four times
Takeaways

The 49ers never hit Penix, and they gave Atlanta the ball four times

Atlanta beat San Francisco 29-20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, the 49ers' first loss, and they are 6-1 into the bye. San Francisco led 14-3 on the first play of the second quarter and Atlanta scored the next 23 points. The 49ers turned the ball over four times and Atlanta scored 13 points off them; Atlanta did not turn it over. The official game book credits the 49ers' defense with no sack, no quarterback hit and no pass defensed on Michael Penix Jr.'s 34 throws. Atlanta made four first downs by San Francisco penalty, three of them on its 90-yard touchdown drive. Christian McCaffrey left with a thigh injury after the second possession, returned for the third quarter and had 26 yards on six touches afterward. Kaelon Black ran for 60 yards in the first half, scored from 30 yards and lost a fumble one play after Jordan James fumbled. Christian Kirk played 20 snaps in his debut and was not targeted. Eddy Pineiro missed an extra point, his seventh missed kick in 34 tries this season, and Kyle Shanahan said the club would discuss the position on the plane.

Sam KezarOct 26, 20265 min read
Greenlaw's suspension is over, and Kirk still needs a roster spot
49ers Notebook

Greenlaw's suspension is over, and Kirk still needs a roster spot

The league lifted Dre Greenlaw's one-game suspension on Tuesday and put him on a roster exemption, and the 49ers released defensive tackle Naquan Jones the same afternoon. Fred Warner and Jaden Dugger played 67 and 64 of 67 defensive snaps on Monday with Greenlaw out. Jones's spot is the one Greenlaw needs, which leaves the 53 full again and means Christian Kirk, whose practice window closes Nov. 5, needs a second move. Kyle Shanahan said after Monday's win that Mike Evans's Achilles tendinitis is not a long-term thing; Ian Rapoport said on ESPN, per 49ers Webzone, that Evans will have to manage it for the better part of the season. Shanahan said he would be surprised to get Deebo Samuel or Demarcus Robinson back for Atlanta. James Thompson Jr. played 21 snaps on Monday in his return from an ankle injury. Luke Gifford (groin) and Upton Stout (shoulder) have no update since Monday; the first report of the short week follows Wednesday's practice.

Sam KezarOct 20, 20263 min read

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Christian Kirk is out Monday, which leaves one game inside his practice window
49ers Notebook

Christian Kirk is out Monday, which leaves one game inside his practice window

The 49ers ruled Christian Kirk out for Monday night against Washington at 1:08 p.m. Pacific, five days after opening his practice window off injured reserve, and elevated linebacker Jalen Graham and receiver Malik Turner from the practice squad in the same release. The club has 21 days from Oct. 15 to put Kirk on the 53, and the only game left inside that window after Monday is at Atlanta on Oct. 25; the bye follows. The inactive list posted at 3:44 p.m.: Kurtis Rourke, Enrique Cruz Jr., Deebo Samuel, Garret Wallow, Marques Sigle, Nick Bosa and Naquan Jones. Mike Evans, Gracen Halton, Mykel Williams, Siran Neal and Upton Stout, all questionable Saturday, are active, and Kyle Juszczyk returns. The receivers in uniform are Evans, Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Turner. Graham, a 2023 seventh-round pick with 15 career games, covers for Garret Wallow and the suspended Dre Greenlaw. Washington activated three players from injured reserve and put two on it.

Sam KezarOct 19, 20263 min read
Bosa is out Monday, which Shanahan says is what the 49ers expected
49ers Notebook

Bosa is out Monday, which Shanahan says is what the 49ers expected

Kyle Shanahan ruled out Nick Bosa (knee, calf), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Garret Wallow (hamstring) and Marques Sigle (ankle) for Monday night against Washington. Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Gracen Halton, Mykel Williams, Upton Stout and Siran Neal are questionable. Kyle Juszczyk is expected to play, eight days after missing Seattle. Asked whether Kirk will be activated off injured reserve, Shanahan said \"Possibly\"; the 53 is full, so that takes a corresponding move.

Sam KezarOct 17, 20263 min read
Juszczyk practiced in full, and Lynch says there is a chance he plays Monday
49ers Notebook

Juszczyk practiced in full, and Lynch says there is a chance he plays Monday

Kyle Juszczyk was a full participant in Friday's practice, 12 days after a hyperextended knee and bone bruise, and John Lynch told KNBR there is a chance he plays Washington on Monday. Christian Kirk was limited; activating him would cost someone a spot on a full 53. Nick Bosa, now listed with knee and calf, did not practice, nor did Mike Evans, Gracen Halton or Romello Height. Lynch said trade calls have picked up and that George Kittle asked him about Khalil Mack. Kittle said he asks all the time.

Sam KezarOct 16, 20263 min read

On the record

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Held upJul 29, 2026

Kaelon Black is on the San Francisco 49ers' initial 53-man roster as announced at the August 30, 2026 mandatory cut. Scored off the initial 53 only: the practice squad is a miss, a later signing or elevation after the initial roster is a miss, and being placed on injured reserve from the initial 53 counts as a hit.

Black is a rookie running back whose Wednesday workload increased because Jordan James fractured a rib, which is the most fragile possible reason to be getting reps. If James is back before cut day the reps go with him. Against the call: the 49ers carried McCaffrey plus a thin room behind him, and a back who has taken first-team-adjacent work in camp is usually kept over a body they would have to teach. This resolves in 32 days and it is genuinely close.

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The 49ers ran Las Vegas out of its plan before they took the ball away
49ers Deep Dive

The 49ers ran Las Vegas out of its plan before they took the ball away

San Francisco beat Las Vegas 38-17 on Sunday and is 7-1. The five second-half takeaways will be remembered, but the game was settled earlier. The 49ers' first three drives went 37 plays and 242 yards, took 19 minutes and 23 seconds and ended in touchdowns, and San Francisco ran 25 times for 125 yards before halftime. Las Vegas had the ball for 71 seconds in the first 13 minutes. Trailing by 11 at the half, the Raiders ran six times and threw 24 times after it, and Klint Kubiak said that being in position to throw on every down produces interceptions. The pass rush did not cause the turnovers: Cousins was hit twice on eight first-half throws and four times on 24 second-half throws. Two takeaways were punched out of receivers' hands, and one came off a fumbled exchange. The second half also showed a cost. San Francisco threw an interception, was stopped on fourth-and-1 at its own 40, and allowed 222 kickoff-return yards, and Las Vegas started three drives in 49ers territory. The game moved San Francisco's season turnover margin from minus-3 to plus-1. Las Vegas has now allowed 30 or more points six weeks running, so Dallas on Sunday is the first test of whether the formula holds.

Sam KezarNov 10, 20266 min read
The 49ers trade a sixth-round pick for Keenan Allen
49ers Notebook

The 49ers trade a sixth-round pick for Keenan Allen

San Francisco acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen from Indianapolis on Tuesday, deadline day, for a 2027 sixth-round pick, the league transaction wire shows. It is the second trade between the clubs in three weeks, after DeForest Buckner on Oct. 27. Allen, 34, played at Cal and is a six-time Pro Bowler with 1,095 career catches, eighth all time. He had 40 catches for 351 yards and one touchdown in eight games for the Colts, their team lead. The club placed Gracen Halton on injured reserve with a fractured ankle the same afternoon, and its roster page showed 52 on the active roster before Allen was added. Allen joins a receiver room missing Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. last Sunday. He caught four passes for 26 yards against Dallas in Week 9, and the 49ers play at Dallas on Sunday.

Sam KezarNov 10, 20263 min read
Five takeaways in one half, and the 49ers never sacked Kirk Cousins
Takeaways

Five takeaways in one half, and the 49ers never sacked Kirk Cousins

San Francisco beat Las Vegas 38-17 at Levi's Stadium on Sunday and is 7-1. The 49ers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, did not punt, and ran 43 times for 190 yards. Las Vegas turned the ball over on five of its six second-half possessions: Jaden Dugger's 35-yard interception return on the first play of the half, two forced fumbles, and interceptions by Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha. The official game book credits San Francisco with no sacks and six quarterback hits, two of them on the plays Green and Mustapha intercepted. Nick Bosa played 39 of 50 defensive snaps in his first game since Sept. 20, and DeForest Buckner played 34. Jordan Watkins caught all four of his targets for 86 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Christian McCaffrey's 12-yard catch set the Super Bowl-era record for touchdown catches by a running back and was Brock Purdy's 100th touchdown pass. Gracen Halton broke his ankle and is out for the season, Shanahan said; Green (back) and Deommodore Lenoir (foot) did not return.

Sam KezarNov 9, 20265 min read

Earlier on the 49ers

The 49ers worked out four linebackers the day after Greenlaw lost his appeal
49ers Notebook

The 49ers worked out four linebackers the day after Greenlaw lost his appeal

Dre Greenlaw's appeal of his one-game suspension was denied Tuesday by hearing officer James Thrash, so he misses Monday night's game against Washington and can return the next day. On Wednesday, a players' day off, the 49ers worked out four free-agent linebackers, per the league's transaction report as cited by 49ers Webzone: Eugene Asante, Jamon Johnson, Kobe King and Anfernee Orji. Four healthy linebackers remain on the 53, and ESPN's Nick Wagoner expects rookie Jaden Dugger to start. Ian Rapoport said Tuesday that Deebo Samuel is likely out two weeks and is not headed to injured reserve. Practice resumes Thursday.

Sam KezarOct 14, 20263 min read
Kyle Juszczyk will miss a few weeks and the 49ers have no other fullback
49ers Notebook

Kyle Juszczyk will miss a few weeks and the 49ers have no other fullback

Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kyle Juszczyk has a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise and will miss a few weeks, that Marques Sigle has a high ankle sprain, and that Upton Stout is day to day with a sprained AC joint. Brayden Willis, Luke Farrell and George Kittle share the fullback's work. Nick Bosa and James Thompson Jr. are probably out again at Seattle; Mykel Williams could be activated.

Sam KezarOct 5, 20263 min read
Connor Colby And Kaelon Black Fill The Two Jobs Shanahan Called Fluid
Depth Chart

Connor Colby And Kaelon Black Fill The Two Jobs Shanahan Called Fluid

San Francisco's public depth chart carried an empty box at left guard from August 27 until this week. Read at 2:52 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, it is stamped 09/4/26 and lists Connor Colby first at left guard and Carver Willis second. It also lists Kaelon Black second at running back ahead of Jordan James, which is the other job Kyle Shanahan called fluid on August 31, and George Kittle and Nick Bosa as starters. Colby was the incumbent in July, was passed by Robert Jones and then by Willis in August, and is first again on the club's own page. Jarrett Patterson, traded for to compete at guard, is listed second at center. The chart predates three roster moves and has one empty box left, at long snapper. The first Melbourne practice is Sunday at 7:50 p.m. Pacific.

Sam KezarSep 6, 20264 min read