The San Francisco 49ers announced the activation of wide receiver Victor Bolden Jr. He returned to the team this week from a four-game suspension for a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
The 49ers also promoted defensive lineman Ryan Delaire to the active roster from the practice squad. The team has waived defensive back Tyvis Powell and offensive lineman Najee Toran to make room on the roster.
Bolden will wear number 17 while Delaire will wear number 92.
"I'm definitely happy to be back here," Bolden said on Wednesday via NBC Sports Bay Area. "It was a tough four weeks, it felt like forever. But I'm excited to be back out there to practice and play with my guys."
While the 49ers announced the league-issued suspension in June, Bolden was allowed to participate in offseason activities, including training camp and the preseason. He trained with his father, Victor Bolden Sr., in Southern California, as reported by NBC Sports Bay Area.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday that the decision of whether or not to activate Bolden would be based on the team's roster situation heading into the weekend. The 49ers have several players who are dealing with injuries. Two of them, Marquise Goodwin (hamstring, quadricep) and Dante Pettis (knee), are wide receivers.
Shanahan estimated on Friday that the chances of Goodwin being available were about 50/50. His status will be a game-time decision. Pettis will not play.
The 49ers signed Bolden as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State on May 4, 2017. He appeared in nine games last season before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury during the 49ers' 26-16 victory over the Houston Texans. Bolden also finished the season with 19 kick returns for 396 yards and four punt returns for an average gain of 5.8 yards.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Delaire as an undrafted free agent out of Towson in 2015. He spent time with the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers before signing with the Indianapolis Colts on August 11. Indianapolis waived Delaire on September 2 before the 49ers signed him to the practice squad on September 26.
Delaire registered 14 combined tackles with 3.5 sacks and a pass defensed over his NFL career. All of those tackles came during his two seasons (2015-16) with Carolina.
