SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers open the 2026 NFL regular season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET in Melbourne, Australia. But first, the 49ers play one more preseason game (Thursday at the Raiders) and then must cut their roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Who will make the team and where might the lineup be deepest and thinnest this season?
The 49ers have tough decisions at a few key positions, such as wide receiver, linebacker and offensive line. But injuries have also muddled the picture at running back and defensive line, leading to questions about who will fill out those spots.
Here is our projection for the 53-man roster for the 49ers.
Quarterbacks (2)
The question here is whether Kurtis Rourke has done enough to convince the 49ers to keep three signal-callers. He played well in his preseason debut but suffered an injury that prevented him from building more of a case, which means the team could look to do some roster juggling to get him to injured reserve without using an extra roster spot.
Running backs (4)
Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan James, Kaelon Black
Injuries to McCaffrey, James, Black and Isaac Guerendo have made this one of the most difficult groups to project because it's unclear who will be available once the season starts. Guerendo could begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list if the Niners want to hold onto him.
Wide receivers (7)
Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel Sr., Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Christian Kirk, Jacob Cowing
There's a lot to sort out here after Ricky Pearsall's season-ending knee surgery. Kirk has barely practiced because of a calf injury, which means his status is a big question. Cowing is the most reliable returner on the roster and had an 83-yard return for a score against the Chargers, which probably lands him a spot. We'll keep all three of Watkins, Cowing and Kirk for now but this seems like a good spot for some roster gymnastics where a vested veteran like Kirk could go and be brought back later.
Tight ends (3)
George Kittle, Luke Farrell, Jake Tonges
These three are in with Kittle's return from the PUP list on Sunday. Brayden Willis has had a good camp but could probably sneak through to the practice squad.
Offensive linemen (9)
Trent Williams, Jake Brendel, Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni, Robert Jones, Brett Toth, Carver Willis, Vederian Lowe, Connor Colby
This is another tricky spot to project because of injuries. Willis and Toth have missed time with concussions, and the 49ers have three, maybe four players vying to be the starting left guard. Jones and Colby have been the frontrunners, but Willis looks like he's the current leader. Lowe has missed almost all of camp, but signed to be the swing tackle while Austen Pleasants was in a good spot before a knee injury that could land him on injured reserve. Rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. likely needs too much work to land on the initial 53, but he would make sense on the practice squad.
Defensive linemen (9)
Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, C.J. West, Alfred Collins, Sam Okuayinonu, Romello Height, Keion White, Gracen Halton, James Thompson Jr.
Mykel Williams has been doing a lot of work on side fields as he recovers from a torn ACL, but we'll project him to begin the year on PUP and miss the first four games. From there, it's a lot of guesswork as Bosa, West, Collins, White and Halton have all dealt with injuries this preseason. Thompson is the surprise here after getting some run with the starters when West and/or Collins have missed practice time.
Linebackers (7)
Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Jaden Dugger, Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford, Nick Martin, Garret Wallow
The Niners don't usually go this heavy at linebacker, but this might be the deepest group on the roster -- and also could be a logical spot for a possible trade. It's worth noting that with new coordinator Raheem Morris in charge of the defense, there are some names here who can fill multiple roles. Dugger heads that list, and he seems to have a good shot to be the "fever backer." Bethune, Martin, Gifford and Wallow have jockeyed for roles on special teams. Rookie Larry Worth III is tough to leave off here, too.
Cornerbacks (5)
Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock
A groin injury for Nate Hobbs likely means he lands on injured reserve, or the Niners release him with the chance to return when he's healthy. Darrell Luter Jr. has stuck around repeatedly, but Prysock's emergence allows them to get a bit younger here while keeping Jones as a versatile backup.
Safeties (4)
Ji'Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, Marques Sigle, Siran Neal
Safety is another position where the Niners could look to add more help via trade or the waiver wire. The real drama here is whether Mustapha or Sigle will start next to Brown, and whether it's Neal or Ashtyn Davis (or neither) for a fourth spot. Neal gets the nod for his special teams excellence.
Special teams (3)
Jon Weeks (LS), Corliss Waitman (P), Eddy Pineiro (K)
The Niners seem to have made their decision at punter, going with Waitman over rookie Jack Bouwmeester and locking in these three spots.
