Grab Some Pine Pull up a bench. Bay Area sports, Michigan, and a model or two.
October 3, 2026
49ers Notebook

Matt Judon, sackless last season, is up for the Bosa week

Sebastian Valdez takes the roster spot Viliami Fehoko Jr. held for a week, and Malik Turner comes up for the coverage units Sunday against Denver.

SK
Sam KezarOct 3, 20263 min read
Every call on this site goes on a public ledger and gets graded. The misses stay up.
Sebastian Valdez, in a white practice jersey, dives past a blocking sled during an offseason practice at the 49ers' facility in Santa Clara.

The 49ers made four roster moves on Saturday, announced on the club's own site at 1:19 p.m. Pacific. Defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. Viliami Fehoko Jr. was waived to make the room. Matthew Judon and Malik Turner were elevated from the practice squad for Sunday's game against Denver, a standard elevation that lasts one game.

Valdez, signed. He played 32 defensive snaps against Arizona last Sunday as an elevation, his NFL debut, and made three tackles, one of them solo, per 49ers Webzone's Saturday report. He is listed at 301 pounds on the club's roster page. He goes from a one-game stay to a spot on the 53.

Fehoko, waived. The club promoted him from the practice squad on Sep 26, the day before the Arizona game. He played 13 defensive snaps in it, per the same report, which lists him at 267 pounds. Niners Nation calls him an edge rusher. That makes Saturday's move a tackle for an edge rusher on the 53, on the weekend Nick Bosa is out.

Judon, up. He signed to the practice squad on Monday, Sep 28. The elevation puts a four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher with 72 career sacks into the Bosa week, per the club's own release when he signed. He had none in 14 games last season, split between Miami and Buffalo, per 49ers Webzone. He is 34. 49ers Webzone notes his history with Raheem Morris, the defensive coordinator, from their time together in Atlanta. Romello Height and Keion White were both limited Friday, per Niners Nation; White is questionable with a hamstring injury. The same outlet names Khalid Kareem and Ogbo Okoronkwo as the other options on the edge.

The defensive line, counted. The club's active table read at about 3 p.m. lists eleven defensive linemen, Judon included. Bosa and James Thompson Jr. are out. That leaves nine available, with White questionable among them.

Turner, up. He signed to the practice squad on Thursday, the same release that promoted Brandin Cooks and released KhaDarel Hodge. 49ers Webzone describes his value as special teams, with past elevations in 2022 and 2025 and for last season's playoff game against Philadelphia. Niners Nation expects him on every coverage unit and little else. The same report ties that need to Hodge's release.

The five receivers. Niners Nation lists them for Sunday as Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr., Jacob Cowing, Cooks and Jordan Watkins. Evans is a game-time decision with a rib injury, per Kyle Shanahan on Friday via David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone.

Fred Warner, fined twice. The league fined him $23,882 for use of the helmet and $17,911 for a hip-drop tackle, per 49ers Webzone, which reported both on Saturday. That is $41,793 for one afternoon.

No change to the injury report. The final Week 4 report stands as filed Friday: Bosa, Thompson and Mykel Williams out; Evans, Dre Greenlaw, White and Jaden Dugger questionable. Kickoff is 1:25 p.m. Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Filed under 49ers

More on Jordan James

His page →
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

More on Nick Bosa

His page →
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
Nick Bosa plays his first game since September, with Buckner beside him
49ers Gameday

Nick Bosa plays his first game since September, with Buckner beside him

The 49ers (6-1) play the Raiders (4-4) at Levi's Stadium at 1:25 p.m. Pacific on FOX. Nick Bosa is cleared after missing five games and lines up with DeForest Buckner for the first time since the 2019 season. Christian Kirk, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are out, and Demarcus Robinson is back off injured reserve. Ten to watch, led by the rookies and second-year players: Jaden Dugger, Gracen Halton, Mykel Williams, Upton Stout, Jordan Watkins, plus Bosa, Buckner, Robinson, George Kittle and Brock Purdy. Inactive lists post at 11:55 a.m. Pacific.

Sam KezarNov 8, 20264 min read
Christian Kirk hurt his meniscus, and surgery is still undecided
49ers Notebook

Christian Kirk hurt his meniscus, and surgery is still undecided

Christian Kirk hurt his meniscus, Kyle Shanahan said Friday, and the 49ers have not decided whether he needs surgery. Kirk, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are out Sunday against Las Vegas. Shanahan said Demarcus Robinson will most likely be activated off injured reserve, and Nick Bosa and Christian McCaffrey are cleared to play.

Sam KezarNov 6, 20263 min read

On the record

Called Shots →
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.

Latest on the 49ers

The whole beat →
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
Gracen Halton needs ankle surgery, and both outside corners are day-to-day
49ers Notebook

Gracen Halton needs ankle surgery, and both outside corners are day-to-day

Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Gracen Halton dislocated and fractured his ankle, will have surgery this week and will go on injured reserve. Renardo Green (back) and Deommodore Lenoir (foot) are day-to-day before Sunday's game at Dallas. C.J. West's practice window opens Wednesday, Deebo Samuel could practice Wednesday, and Mike Evans is not expected to.

Sam KezarNov 9, 20263 min read

Earlier on the 49ers

Stribling is out ten weeks, and the club says it doesn't need another receiver
49ers Notebook

Stribling is out ten weeks, and the club says it doesn't need another receiver

Kyle Shanahan spoke before Wednesday's practice, his first availability since the flight home from Melbourne, and answered the two questions the opener left open. De'Zhaun Stribling had ankle surgery and will miss close to ten weeks, a window that covers nine games. Jake Tonges had knee surgery, is out for the season and went on injured reserve Wednesday. KhaDarel Hodge was promoted to the 53-man roster in the same transaction and Jack Stoll signed to the practice squad, one day after the club worked him out. Shanahan said San Francisco does not need to add a receiver. Stribling was still on the club's Active table at 4:53 p.m. Pacific.

Sam KezarSep 16, 20264 min read
The 49ers Have Two Depth Charts And Only One Of Them Has A Left Guard
Camp Battles

The 49ers Have Two Depth Charts And Only One Of Them Has A Left Guard

The depth chart at 49ers.com carries twenty-nine position rows and a name in the first column of twenty-eight of them. Left guard is the twenty-ninth, its first column is empty, and the page stamps itself August 27, which was eight days ago. A separate one-page sheet dated September 2 lists Connor Colby first at left guard and Carver Willis second, and the club does not publish it: the media site its own pronunciation guide points to refuses a request from outside. Kyle Madson of Niners Wire reports that the sheet is assembled by the communications staff with no input from the coaches and binds nobody. Kyle Shanahan said on August 31 that he did not know who starts, and nothing since has replaced that. Seven of the seventy-two men still named on the club's live chart are on the September 2 sheet's injured reserve list, three of them offensive linemen.

Grant LombardSep 4, 20265 min read
Four Men At Left Guard, And Two Practices Of Evidence
Camp Battles

Four Men At Left Guard, And Two Practices Of Evidence

The 49ers started three different players at left guard in 2025 and opened camp with four candidates for the job. Connor Colby has the incumbency and about 450 snaps in the offense, Robert Jones has 30 career starts and a season he spent on injured reserve, and two practices have settled nothing.

Sam KezarJul 28, 20265 min read