During NFL training camp, one of the most important milestone dates on the road to week one is the 53 man roster cutdown. A day where training camp dreams turn to reality, or are swiftly crushed. Just 12 days before kickoff in Seattle, the 49ers have whittled their roster down to the 53 men who will wear the red and gold in the Pacific Northwest.
It went mostly as you’d expect, besides a few fringe surprises.
As is indicated, the Niners went very heavy in the trenches. 21 total lineman make up more than a third of the roster. One noteworthy absence is undrafted rookie Sebastion Valdez out of Washington. Many expected Valdez to be on the roster, including Tracy Sandler, who projected as much when she joined Greg Silver and John Dickinson on KNBR just moments before the roster cutdown.
Another wrinkle was the supposed cutting of punter Thomas Morstead. The move was seen on the transaction list, but it was quickly surmised that it was purely transactional tetris and that Morstead would remain on the roster once corresponding moves were made.
Morstead himself took to X to implore prying fans to settle down.
Words to live by.
