The 49ers made a bevy of roster moves ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
The San Francisco 49ers made a number of roster moves ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was activated off Injured Reserve, marking the first time he will suit up in a game since suffering a knee injury back in Week 4 against the New England Patriots. Gross-Matos had suffered a knee issue back in the final game of the preseason, ultimately making his season debut in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.
A free agent addition in the offseason, Gross-Matos’s return will provide a big boost for the 49ers depth, as they currently have just three defensive ends in their rotation: Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and Robert Beal Jr, while interior defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu has moved to the edge at times.
In addition, the 49ers moved punter Mitch Wishnowsky and cornerback Darrell Luter to Injured Reserve. Wishnowsky re-aggravated a back injury that bothered him earlier in the year, and head coach Kyle Shanahan had indicated he was a likely candidate for IR earlier this week. Luter had suffered a pelvic injury during practice on Thursday that seemed fairly serious, and he’ll miss at least the next four games as a result.
Backup punter Pat O’Donnell, who was signed earlier this week, was promoted to the active roster to take Wishnowsky’s spot, and it seems it could be for the near future with the latter heading to IR.
In addition, the 49ers brought up defensive backs Tashaun Gipson and Nick McCloud as standard practice squad elevations for this weekend’s game. Gipson made his season debut last weekend, playing in 11 special teams snaps, while McCloud is making his 49ers debut after being cut from the New York Giants this week.
In other news, it’s notable that the 49ers did not activate Jon Feliciano from Injured Reserve. He was a possible candidate to come off the list and make his season debut, as Aaron Banks was questionable with a thigh injury. Feliciano remaining on IR likely means that Banks should be good to go for tomorrow’s game.