© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers plan to sign long snapper Colin Holba, Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday.
The team had to make a corresponding move after the NFL suspended long snapper Kyle Nelson for 10 regular season games for using performance-enhancing substances. Nelson, the third-most tenured active 49ers player, will miss the remaining four games of the current season and the first six of 2019, wherever he is playing.
Holba is one of five long snappers the 49ers worked out last week. Shanahan said he knew a punishment was in store for Nelson, which explains the tryout.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Holba in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was released prior to Week 1 of his rookie season. Last November, Holba signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he was waived in June. He has since played with the AAFL’s Atlanta Legends.
Holba is likely to finish the season as the 49ers long snapper, and he will have the opportunity to retain the job next season. Nelson is slated to enter free agency at the end of the current season.