49ers 53-man roster: Sebastian ‘Hulk’ Valdez waived; WR group needs help

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In trimming their roster to 53 players Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers waived promising rookie defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, kept exactly two healthy receivers and released their punter.

All of which strongly suggests that the initial roster is just that — an early draft.

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Veteran punter Thomas Morstead — who posted on X “R-E-L-A-X” minutes after his name appeared on the cuts list — is poised to re-sign as early as Wednesday, when the team will also start building a practice squad and bulking up its weakest spots.

Practice squad candidates include Valdez, receiver Russell Gage, tight end Brayden Willis and linebacker Curtis Robinson. If Gage lands there, he could be someone the 49ers elevate to the active roster on game days early in the season. With Demarcus Robinson suspended for three games and Brandon Aiyuk beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list, Ricky Pearsall and newly acquired Skyy Moore are the team’s only healthy receivers at the moment.

Here’s how every position looked after the initial cuts:

Rookies in italics

Offense (25)

Quarterback (2): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones

Cut: Carter Bradley, Tanner Mordecai

NFI: Kurtis Rourke

Bradley and Mordecai suffered ankle injuries in the preseason finale and were waived on Monday. All offseason, the team never seemed to settle on a No. 3 candidate — at least to start the season — and they could surf the transaction wire for one they like. Rourke must spend at least four weeks on the non-football injury list as he recovers from January surgery to repair a torn ACL.

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Running back (5): Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, Brian Robinson, Jordan James, Kyle Juszczyk (fullback)

Cut: Jeff Wilson Jr., Ke’Shawn Vaughn

There were no surprises at this spot. The 49ers head into the season with McCaffrey, Robinson and Guerendo as their top three tailbacks and with James, recovering from a broken pinkie, in reserve. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the team brings back Wilson, who ran well this summer, for the practice squad.

Wide receiver (5): Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Skyy Moore, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing

PUP: Brandon Aiyuk

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Suspended: Demarcus Robinson

Cut: Junior Bergen, Russell Gage, Robbie Chosen, Terique Owens, Isaiah Hodgins, Malik Knowles, Malik Turner

The NFL announced Robinson’s three-game suspension on Tuesday. He’s eligible to be reinstated following the Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Cowing, whose recent hamstring injury is expected to take six weeks to heal, will likely go on injured reserve later this week. Gage might land on the practice squad, making him someone the team could elevate for early-season games. Meanwhile, several interesting receivers — Trey Palmer, Marquez Valdez-Scantling and former 49er Dante Pettis — were among the cuts around the league on Tuesday.

Tight end (3): George Kittle, Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges

Cut: Brayden Willis

Tonges edged out Willis for the No. 3 roster spot. Willis also didn’t make last year’s initial roster. But he was added to the practice squad, then promoted to the active roster in October.

Offensive line (10): Trent Williams, Ben Bartch, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz, Connor Colby, Spencer Burford, Austen Pleasants, Matt Hennessy, Drew Moss

Cut: Nick Zakelj, Isaiah Prince, Drake Nugent, Michael Dunn

Suspended: Isaac Alarcon

Zakelj was a mild surprise considering he’d been with the team since 2022 — he was Purdy’s rookie roommate — and can play center and guard. Instead, the 49ers hung onto a pair of rookies, seventh-rounder Colby and undrafted Moss. Colby has been working at right guard and could start there in Week 1 if Puni has a hiccup in his recovery from a knee injury. The 49ers are eying Moss as a future center, although he’s played only guard so far.

Defense (26)

Defensive line (11): Mykel Williams, Jordan Elliott, Kalia Davis, Nick Bosa, Bryce Huff, CJ West, Alfred Collins, Evan Anderson, Sam Okuayinonu, Yetur Gross-Matos, Robert Beal Jr.

IR: Kevin Givens

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Cut: Sebastian Valdez, Jonathan Garvin, Jaylon Allen, Bruce Hector, William Bradley-King, Shakel Brown

Valdez was a surprise cut considering how difficult he was for the 49ers’ offensive linemen to handle, and that — unique for a 49ers defensive lineman — he didn’t miss any practices from spring through summer. Gross-Matos apparently had a clean bill of health right at the buzzer.

Linebacker (5): Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Nick Martin, Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford

Cut: Curtis Robinson, Chazz Surratt, Jalen Graham, Stone Blanton

We would have lost a lot of money betting that either Robinson or Surratt would make the 53, given the emphasis on special teams this season and how well both played this preseason. Maybe the thinking is that at least one will get back to the 49ers on the practice squad. Gifford will try to hold off Bethune and Martin for the third linebacker spot on running downs, but Martin’s rise appears inevitable, as the rookie improved greatly in each of the last two preseason games.

Cornerback (5): Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Darrell Luter Jr., Upton Stout, Chase Lucas

Cut: Dallis Flowers, Fabian Moreau

IR: Jakob Robinson

Flowers was a surprise, as he got some run with the ones and is a Gus Bradley favorite, but Luter also had a good camp. Lucas gets rewarded for being an impact preseason player and very popular in the locker room.

Safety (5): Jason Pinnock, Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Siran Neal, Richie Grant

Cut: Derrick Canteen, Jaylen Mahoney

PUP: Malik Mustapha

Newcomer Pinnock is a Robert Saleh guy, while Neal is a special teams standout who can play both safety and corner and rounds out a pretty solid bunch.

Special teams (2)

PK Jake Moody, LS Jon Weeks

Cut: P Thomas Morstead

The 49ers don’t plan to punt this season. Or … this must be a contract thing, and Morstead is his own agent, but he will be back on Wednesday.

R-E-L-A-X — Thomas Morstead (@thomasmorstead) August 26, 2025

(Photo of Sebastian Valdez: Trinity Machan / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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