After the final preseason game vs. Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday evening, the San Francisco 49ers will have until 1 pm PT on Saturday to cut their roster from 90 players to 53, as they prepare for Week 1 of the regular season.
Here are five veterans who head into Thursday night’s game with their immediate futures still uncertain.
QB – Matt Barkley
Assumed to be a lock at backup quarterback when he was signed this offseason, the former USC standout has been outplayed on the practice field since OTAs, and during the preseason by rookie fourth-round pick C.J. Beathard. It is clear at this point that Beathard has beaten Barkley for the second-string spot behind Brian Hoyer, but it remains to be seen if the 49ers are willing to start the season with just two quarterbacks on their roster. While it might seem like a bit of a risk, there is a good chance that Barkley would still be available later on if Hoyer were to sustain an injury, and it’s probably a waste to have him take up a roster spot only to never see the field. Unless Barkley throws four touchdowns on Thursday night, expect him to be cut.
RB – Tim Hightower
One of the strongest performers early in training camp, the six-year veteran has been lost in the shuffle of a crowded running back group that contains two rookies with high upside, Joe Williams and Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert — who had a game breaking performance in the 49ers’ third preseason game — and has proven to the coaching staff to be a valuable asset on special teams. Hightower has carried the ball just three times this preseason, gaining -1 yard, and fumbling on his first carry. Hightower is likely playing for a spot on Thursday. The argument could be made that his lack of carries could be attributed to the 49ers’ already knowing what he can do, but Hightower’s fate was likely sealed when Mostert skipped into the end zone for the second time last weekend.
WR – Jeremy Kerley
Kerley was arguably the 49ers most effective offensive weapon last year, a fact that is more of a testament to how poor that unit was in 2016 than anything Kerley did. Still his performances earned him a three-year, $8.4 million contract at the end of last season, but a new crop of veteran and young receivers brought in by Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have put Kerley’s future with the team in serious doubt. Kerley hasn’t caught a single pass in the preseason, and has been overshadowed by slot options with similar skillsets in Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson. Add in rookie fifth-round pick Trent Taylor (also a slot receiver) and Victor Boldin and Aaron Burbridge who both excel in special teams, and there probably isn’t enough room to keep Kerley around.
NT – Quinton Dial
The signing of Sen’Derrick Marks last week shows that the 49ers are not super confident with their depth behind starting nose tackle Earl Mitchell, adding Marks to compete with Dial and Chis Jones for the backup spot in the final week of preseason practice. Of the players on this list, Dial is the most likely to make the 53, and is probably too talented to get cut, unless the 49ers can find a willing trade partner. If Marks is impressive in the final preseason game, however, it wouldn’t be a shock if the 49ers decide to move on from the former fifth-round pick.
CB – Asa Jackson
The weakest position in camp, the 49ers are stuck between a rock and a hard place in deciding between the veteran Jackson and Keith Reaser, who after being given yet another opportunity to earn a starting spot alongside Rashard Robinson, was unimpressive in camp and during the preseason. Jackson will probably make the team over Reaser but would probably be cut were last year’s third-round pick Will Redmond not a candidate for the injured reserve with an ankle injury. Expect Jackson to join K’Wuan Williams and rookie third-round pick Ahkello Witherspoon as the depth behind starters Robinson and Dontae Johnson.