The 49ers kept Bosa off injured reserve and put Demarcus Robinson there instead
Viliami Fehoko Jr. took the receiver's roster spot, and Kevin Givens and Sebastian Valdez were elevated, so nine defensive linemen are expected against Arizona. Brandin Cooks will not play; Jordan Watkins is in line for his season debut.
The 49ers did not put Nick Bosa on injured reserve on Saturday. They put receiver Demarcus Robinson there instead, and they filled the roster spot with a defensive lineman.
The club's own release, posted at 2:24 p.m., carries three moves. Viliami Fehoko Jr. was promoted from the practice squad to the 53. Kevin Givens and Sebastian Valdez, both defensive linemen, were elevated from the practice squad for Sunday. Robinson went on injured reserve.
Bosa stays on the 53. He is out against Arizona with the calf he hurt warming up before Thursday's walk-through, and Kyle Shanahan has said he will miss "a few weeks." Nick Wagoner of ESPN reported Friday, citing sources, that the club was leaning against injured reserve partly because it is running short of return designations. Saturday's release matches that report.
Robinson goes instead. He sprained his ankle on a 19-yard catch to the Miami 4 just before halftime last Sunday, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. Shanahan called it a high-ankle sprain on Monday, put it at three to six weeks and named Robinson "most likely" an injured-reserve candidate. The designation arrived six days later.
Nine linemen for Sunday. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area expects all three newcomers to play as part of a nine-man rotation. By name, the nine are Osa Odighizuwa, Gracen Halton, Keion White, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Khalid Kareem, Naquan Jones, Fehoko, Givens and Valdez. Jones signed off Minnesota's practice squad on Wednesday.
Two debuts and a veteran. Fehoko and Valdez have never played in an NFL game, per Maiocco. Fehoko was Dallas's fourth-round pick in 2023 after San Jose State, and he went to Saint Francis High in Mountain View. San Francisco released him at the cut to 53 and re-signed him to the practice squad on Wednesday. Valdez signed with the club as an undrafted rookie out of Washington in 2025 and spent that whole season on the practice squad. Givens, 29, is set to play for the 49ers for an eighth straight season. He has 70 games, 14 starts and eight sacks, per Maiocco.
Two elevations, both on defense. A club may elevate two practice-squad men for a game, per Inman, and San Francisco used both on the line. That left no elevation for a receiver.
Watkins, not Cooks. Cooks signed to the practice squad on Wednesday and will not be in uniform, per Maiocco. Wesley Grimes and Will Pauling were not elevated either, per Inman. Jordan Watkins is expected to make his season debut after two games on the inactive list. Shanahan on 49ers Game Plan, per Maiocco: "He just came into my office a couple weeks ago asking what he could do to get this opportunity."
Five receivers, Evans among them. Mike Evans is questionable with the hip, and Maiocco expects him to be active. With Robinson on injured reserve, the 53 carries five receivers: Evans, Deebo Samuel, KhaDarel Hodge, Jacob Cowing and Watkins.
Judon worked out. The league's daily transaction report shows four free-agent pass rushers trying out on Saturday: Matt Judon, Julian Okwara, Jamin Davis and Dawuane Smoot, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Judon had 72 sacks in his first nine seasons and none last year in 14 games for Miami and Buffalo. The club's Saturday release signed none of them.
The fines. Kyle Juszczyk was fined $14,926 twice for his celebrations after two catches against Miami, per Inman, and he appeals both on Tuesday. Upton Stout was fined $7,501 for taunting. Keion White was fined $13,770 for landing on the quarterback on his sack.
Arizona. The 49ers (2-0) play the Cardinals (1-1) at Levi's Stadium at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Inactives are due 90 minutes before kickoff.
