Seven Of San Francisco's Nine Rookies Are Listed Second At A Position For The Opener
The 49ers open the season against the Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday at 5:35 p.m. Pacific, on Netflix. The club's final injury report handed out two game designations in a room of eleven names, and neither went to Nick Bosa or George Kittle, who practiced limited three times each and carry nothing. Alfred Collins is out for the season. Here are ten men to watch, and the count that explains why so many of them are new.
Nick Bosa practiced limited three times in Melbourne and carries no game designation into Thursday's opener. George Kittle practiced limited three times and carries none either. The club handed out exactly two designations, and neither man got one.
That is the first thing to watch, and Kyle Shanahan said the second thing out loud. Asked about the two of them, he said: "We've got to be smart with that. They both look great but we've definitely got to be smart with that." Bosa, after the last practice, said he is "100 percent ready to go for the first game" and that his week in Melbourne "went great." Both quotes are in the club's final injury report, published at 12:23 a.m. Pacific Thursday. Bosa is filed under a knee, Kittle under an achilles. Neither has a snap count anybody has published.
San Francisco plays Los Angeles at the Melbourne Cricket Ground at 5:35 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, which is 10:35 a.m. Friday at the ground. It is on Netflix. Radio is KSFO 810 AM and KSAN 107.7 FM. Both clubs list the game as a home game on their own schedule pages, which is what a neutral site does to a schedule.
The two designations#
Alfred Collins, defensive tackle, is out. He tore a patellar tendon at Tuesday's practice in Melbourne, Shanahan said, and he will miss the season. He was the projected starter at right defensive tackle.
James Thompson Jr., defensive tackle, is questionable with a hamstring. He did not practice at the first Melbourne session and was limited at the next two. Shanahan said before the final practice that Thompson's availability would come down to how he came out of it.
Nobody else on either roster carries a game status except Aaron Donald, whom Los Angeles ruled out under rest. Myles Garrett, filed under a knee, went from no participation to full and carries nothing. Inactives are published 90 minutes before kickoff.
The count#
The club's roster page carries 53 active players. Nine of them are rookies: Kaelon Black, Enrique Cruz Jr., Jaden Dugger, Gracen Halton, Romello Height, Ephesians Prysock, De'Zhaun Stribling, James Thompson Jr. and Carver Willis.
Seven of those nine are listed second at a position on the club's website depth chart, which is stamped September 8 and which the club labels unofficial. The other two are listed third. None of the nine is listed first. That is a roster one injury deep at seven spots, and at one of the seven the injury has already happened.
Ten to watch#
Nick Bosa, right defensive end. Three limited practices, no designation, and a head coach saying the workload will be managed. Count his snaps.
George Kittle, tight end. Same three limited practices, same absence of a designation, same sentence from Shanahan.
Gracen Halton, defensive tackle. The rookie listed second at right defensive tackle, behind a man who is out for the year. He was limited at the first two Melbourne practices with an ankle and full at the last one.
Mike Evans, receiver. He is 33 and listed first at receiver. His first twelve seasons were in Tampa Bay, per ESPN's player file, which puts thirty catches and three touchdowns on his 2025. This is his first game for San Francisco.
Connor Colby, left guard. Second season, listed first at the job this club spent all of camp trying to fill.
Keion White, left defensive end. Listed first. The man listed behind him, Sam Okuayinonu, went on injured reserve on September 4 with a broken foot.
Dre Greenlaw, weak-side linebacker. Filed under an achilles, limited at the first two practices, full at the last. No designation.
Upton Stout, nickel back. The only player the chart lists at the position, and the only man on the injury report who practiced in full at all three Melbourne sessions.
De'Zhaun Stribling, receiver. The rookie listed second at receiver, in a room that has Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall on injured reserve.
Kaelon Black, running back. The rookie listed second behind Christian McCaffrey, who carries no injury designation of any kind.
Four more rookies are one man deep: Romello Height behind Bosa at right defensive end, Jaden Dugger at SAM linebacker, Ephesians Prysock at right cornerback and Carver Willis at left guard.
What the chart still says#
The depth chart on the club's own website is stamped September 8. It lists Alfred Collins first at right defensive tackle and Sam Okuayinonu second at left defensive end. Collins is out for the season and Okuayinonu has been on injured reserve since September 4.
Sources: 49ers.com schedule, roster, depth chart, transactions and injury report pages, all read Thursday morning Pacific; the club's final Week 1 injury report, published 12:23 a.m. Pacific Thursday by Brooke Evans; the club's Week 1 viewing guide, published September 9 by Ines Diaz; the Melbourne Cricket Ground's own event page; ESPN's 49ers schedule and its Mike Evans player file.
