Why the 49ers made a flurry of roster moves (and where key groups stand now)

The 49ers cut Greg Joseph on Monday, but does that mean Jake Moody has won the team’s much-discussed kicking competition?

Based on what coach Kyle Shanahan said when a reporter asked him if the competition was over, it might be premature to assume that Moody has job security.

“[Joseph’s] not here, but whether you have one kicker in the building or two — and you rarely have two — kickers always know they’re competing with whoever’s out there,” Shanahan said. “So I don’t see much of a difference.”

The 49ers signed Joseph to push Moody, who struggled mightily after suffering a high ankle sprain in 2024. Over the first two weeks of camp, Joseph made 22 of 24 kicks, while Moody drilled 21 of 24 — so the competition was nearly even.

Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer had hoped to continue evaluating the kickers side-by-side through the preseason, but doing so became impractical. The 49ers are deep in the dog days of training camp now. They held about 20 players of their 90-man roster out of Monday’s practice. They also signed five players to spruce up particularly thin positions.

Adding bodies, of course, requires corresponding cuts to make room — and kicker was a natural spot to trim, especially because Moody can remain on the hot seat even without Joseph in the building. The 49ers remain one phone call away from making a change there.

“It’s awesome to have two kickers to allow them to battle, but we just don’t have that luxury anymore,” Shanahan said. “Kickers aren’t guys who really take reps. We need more people to take reps for us.”

A contract comparison might’ve helped the 49ers make their decision. Moody still has two years left on his deal, while Joseph only has one. Terminating Moody’s contract would’ve cost the 49ers double the team control, which wouldn’t have been a sound business practice unless they were certain about moving forward with Joseph.

Quarterback was another logical spot for a cut. The 49ers had five players on the 90-man roster before waiving second-year QB Tanner Mordecai on Monday.

Shanahan said there’s a chance the team re-signs Mordecai. But right now, they’re more interested in evaluating recent signee Carter Bradley for the third-string spot behind Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.

All three of the team’s active QBs enjoyed a productive practice Monday. Jones opened with one of the most beautiful balls of camp, a perfect touchdown heave to red-hot receiver Ricky Pearsall on a deep corner. Bradley, the son of 49ers assistant head coach Gus Bradley, then finished practice with a scoring bomb to second-year wideout Terique Owens, the son of former 49ers Hall of Famer Terrell Owens.

Monday marked Owens’ first multi-catch performance of camp. Perhaps it’s notable that it came on the heels of the 49ers waiving rookie wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, who logged a sensational catch on Day 2 but failed to consistently produce beyond that. Like Neyor, Owens is tall and fast — but also raw. Amid the numbers crunch, the 49ers can’t afford to carry too many such projects on the roster.

The 49ers also waived cornerback Tre Avery and second-year tight end Mason Pline, who — like Owens — is relatively new to football after starting his college career as a basketball player.

They signed edge rusher Bradlee Anae, defensive tackle Bruce Hector, safety Jaylen Mahoney, cornerback Fabian Moreau, and offensive tackle Isaiah Prince to take spots of the departed players.

Anae and Hector both spent some time with the New York Jets when Robert Saleh, now the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, was the head coach. They’re familiar faces that can bolster a D-line unit that just saw defensive tackle Kevin Givens suffer a significant pectoral injury.

Shanahan said Givens won’t be back until some point in the regular season. Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu will also be out a couple of weeks with a groin injury, while defensive tackle Evan Anderson is day-to-day with a knee bruise.

The 49ers hope to see defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who was running sprints on the side during practice, back next week before they travel to Las Vegas for a joint practice against the Raiders. That’ll be a significant addition for the defensive line as it looks to establish its primary eight-man rotation over the three preseason games.

The 49ers also remain thin in the offensive backfield. Isaac Guerendo will miss a “few weeks,” Shanahan said, after hurting his shoulder in Saturday’s practice. And while Kyle Juszczyk should be back soon — someone stepped on and cut his Achilles on Saturday — backup tight ends Brayden Willis, Jake Tonges, and Ross Dwelley had to man the fullback position Monday.

Despite the absences, the 49ers managed to make Monday’s session a competitive one — and that’s the goal at this juncture, with teams around the league dealing with the wear-and-tear of camp.

The 49ers are looking forward to a psychological boost when the Denver Broncos visit for a joint practice Thursday. At last, Shanahan’s team will have a chance to practice against different players, coaches, and schemes.

In preparation for Thursday, stars such as Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams — all of whom enjoyed a scheduled day off Monday — will ramp up activity Tuesday. The 49ers will ease off with a walk-through breather the following day.

“And then Thursday should be our most reps of any practice,” Shanahan said.

Receiver Jauan Jennings has missed six straight practices — every single one since the 49ers donned pads last week — with what the team is calling a calf issue.

There’s growing speculation that Jennings’ absence may also have something to do with his desire for a new contract. That surfaced right before the start of camp. Jennings, who logged nearly 1,000 receiving yards this season, stands to make about $7.5 million in 2025 on the final season of a two-year deal.

“I think they’re gonna have to do something,” former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who attended Monday’s practice, said recently on his podcast. “I think they’re gonna have to appease him, and I think once they do, there might be a chance he’s back at practice that day. I don’t know, but it kind of seems that way.”

While Sherman may or may not have inside information, Shanahan certainly does, and his answer when a reporter asked if Jennings’ calf issue might be “business-related” was — at the very least — interesting.

“You can ask him that,” Shanahan said. “But he tells me it’s his calf. And the calf shows. So, gotta be delicate with those calves.”