The 49ers waived a former Pro Bowler on Wednesday.
Center Jeremy Zuttah has been released and linebacker Sean Porter has been signed. Two weeks ago, this would’ve been a major surprise, but Zuttah had been trending in the wrong direction during training camp.
Zuttah was expected to come in and compete with Daniel Kilgore at center, but Kilgore has received nearly every starting rep since training camp began. Zuttah also had multiple center-exchange problems early in camp and never lived up to what the 49ers had hoped.
The 49ers acquired Zuttah in a trade with the Ravens on March 16. The teams swapped sixth round picks — the 49ers moved down 12 spots. Consider the low risk, the trade for Zuttah was worth the gamble. In the end, it didn’t pay off. But no harm, no foul.
This new regime has made something clear: if they are ready to move on from a player, they’ll waste no time. Zuttah’s release follows Bruce Ellington’s last week. The 49ers could have other cuts after their preseason debut Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs.