Five San Francisco 49ers players landed on injury lists as the team cut its roster count down to the required 53-player limit. You can find the Niners' complete initial 53-man roster here. I write "initial" because an NFL roster is fluid and will change in the coming days and throughout the season.
"As I've always said, there's never been a final 53 in the history of football. That's just the final 53 for Tuesday," head coach Kyle Shanahan recently told reporters.
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Rookie cornerback Darrell Luter landed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He suffered a hyperextended knee during organized team activities (OTAs).
"It resulted in a deep bone bruise," general manager John Lynch said in July. "... He's a kid who really had impressed us throughout the whole draft process, [and] then in his work here. Sharp kid,"
Luter is eligible to return during the season. However, the four others who landed on the injured reserve list are not. They are kicker Zane Gonzalez, safety Tayler Hawkins, rookie tight end Cameron Latu, and cornerback A.J. Parker. Their seasons are done.
Gonzalez sustained a right calf injury during pre-game warmups ahead of last week's preseason finale. The Niners' other kicker, rookie Jake Moody, is dealing with a right quad and could miss Week 1. The team will examine its kicker options in the coming days.
Hawkins broke his hand during the game. Latu suffered a knee injury, requiring meniscus surgery. Parker injured his hamstring.
Defensive end Nick Bosa is not part of the 53-man roster. He is on the reserve/did not report list. Bosa has been holding out for a new contract since the start of training camp. There is some skepticism that the Niners and their star player are close to finalizing a deal. The 49ers kick off their 2023 season in 12 days.
"They're not there yet, and I don't get the sense they're close at all, so I don't get the sense anything is imminent," NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently stated.
