NFL teams will need to cut their 90-man rosters by 10 players before August 16. It sounds like the San Francisco 49ers won't be among the organizations doing so for now. The team intends to enter training camp with its full complement of players.
"While several teams have been cutting players in recent days to reduce their rosters to 80 players, it appears the 49ers will remain at 90 for the time being," reports Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
That means the 49ers must split their roster into two groups. The first would be composed of mostly rookies, while veterans will fill the second. The two groups will need to remain separate from each other. They can't be in the same building, on the same field, or in the same locker room, as explained by Barrows. Players also cannot go between the two groups.
All NFL teams will need to get down to 80 players before the deadline and before padded practices begin. This is all part of the recently ratified pandemic rules, which are meant to keep players safe as the NFL navigates its way to the 2020 season amidst a pandemic.
49ers rookies, the four quarterbacks, and rehabbing players went through their first round of COVID-19 testing last week and then underwent a second round on Sunday. Barrows reports that there were no positive tests from those initial rounds.
The rest of the players on the 49ers roster arrive tomorrow for their first of two COVID-19 tests. If all go well, they will be able to enter the facility by the weekend.
Barrows also reports that the player who tested positive for the virus while at a player-organized practice in Tennessee last month has fully recovered and was at the 49ers facility on Monday. The Athletic's policy is to not reveal the player unless it becomes publicly known. The players who were part of those practices and are believed to have already reported to the 49ers are the team's four quarterbacks, rookies Brandon Aiyuk, Chris Finke, Jauan Jennings, and Charlie Woerner, as well as rehabbing players Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, and Trent Taylor.
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