TE · SF
general
Brayden Willis goes unclaimed; set to return to the practice squad
A look at what the future holds for Brayden Willis and where he tight end depth chart stands for the 49ers
Brayden Willis
TE · SF · 26 yrs · exp 3 · Oklahoma
Status
- Game status
- Active
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
TE · SF
general
49ers player gets cut after flying 16 hours to Australia: Why he might be sent home and why they made the move
The 49ers released tight end Brayden Willis to promote long‑snapper Jon Weeks to the active roster, clearing a roster spot after a 16‑hour trip to Australia
TE · SF
Breakinginjury
Brayden Willis — Out
Sleeper status change for Brayden Willis (10224). Before: status=Active, injury_status=—. After: status=Active, injury_status=Out
general
49ers sign TE Khalil Dinkins
The 49ers brought tight end Khalil Dinkins back to the roster on Saturday. Dinkins signed with the team after going undrafted in April, but was waived off of their non-football injury list in July. Defensive lineman Xavier Thomas was waived with an injury designation in a corresponding move. Dinkins had 37 catches for 399 yards and seven touchdowns in 49 games at Penn State. George Kittle remains on the physically unable to perform list, but the Niners hope he will be able to go at the start of the regular season. Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell, Brayden Willis, Hayden Rucci, and Josiah Deguara are their other tight ends
general
49ers QB Kurtis Rourke taken to hospital for tests after struggling to breathe
49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was taken to the hospital as a precaution after suffering a rib injury in Thursday night’s preseason opener. Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that Rourke’s injury is not believed to be serious, but any time a player struggles to breathe the medical staff wants to be cautious. “They said ribs, he was struggling to breathe so they took him to the hospital just to check on him and make sure he’s alright. X-rays in here didn’t show it was broken,” Shanahan said. “They just wanted to get more imaging and find out, so they weren’t too concerned. I don’t want to downplay it but I don’t want to overplay it either.” Rourke completed 12 of 14 passes for 101 yards before leaving the game. “He looked good. Got the ball to the right spot, played well,” Shanahan said. The only other quarterback in uniform for the 49ers on Thursday night was Adrian Martinez, who completed 16 of 30 passes for 159 yards after Rourke left. Shanahan said that if Martinez had been injured and the 49ers had been left without any quarterbacks, tight end Brayden Willis would have played quarterback the rest of the game and the 49ers would have only called handoffs
general
Which 49ers UDFA has the best chance to make the 53-man roster?
Training camp for the San Francisco 49ers begins Sunday with the veterans reporting on Saturday. The 49ers’ rookie class has reported, which includes their draft class and the undrafted free agents brought in after the draft. The seven undrafted free agents under contract are: TE Khalil Dinkins, Penn State; DL Bryson Eason, Tennessee ; WR Wesley Grimes, NC State; DL Mikail Kamara, Indiana; WR Will Pauling, Notre Dame; S Jalen Stroman, Notre Dame; and DL James Thompson Jr, Illinois. Currently, the 49ers have several players who went undrafted. Center Jake Brendel , OG Robert Jones, LB Luke Gifford , DE Andrew Farmer II , DL Evan Anderson , Safety Derrick Canteen, RB Patrick Taylor , and TE Jake Tonges were all UDFAs. Brendel and Jones could be starting next to each other on the offensive line in 2026. Basically, the 49ers have found production from undrafted players. Which 2026 49ers UDFA has the best chance to make the 53-man roster? The first place to look is the defensive line. That would make Eason, Kamara, and Thompson Jr. the most likely candidates. Dinkins has an outside chance, but that would take George Kittle not being ready for Week 1 and the team cutting Brayden Willis . Perhaps a practice squad spot is more likely for Dinkins. The one player to watch during training camp will be Kamara. The 24-year-old defensive lineman was a force for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers. After three seasons at James Madison, Kamara hit the portal and had two successful campaigns with the Hoosiers. 2024 was his best season with ten sacks and a career-high 86.4 defensive grade and 88.5 pass-rushing grade. 2025 was a step back in the sack department for Kamara, only notching two, but he did finish with nine more hurries than in 2024. Let’s consider his competition for a spot on the defensive line. Your locks are C.J. West, Alfred Collins , Nick Bosa , Mykel Williams , Osa Odighizuwa , Sam Okuayinonu , Keion White , and rookies Gracen Halton and Romello Height. Kamara would have to jump Evan Anderson and the other UDFA competition for a roster spot. I’d bet on Kamara, who should have been drafted, to impress and open eyes. The 49ers will need as much help as they can get on the defensive line. Waves of pass rushers are important, and Kamara can provide reliable depth. Look out for the Hoosier
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