The 49ers announced a pair of roster moves on Saturday to help address ongoing wide receiver issues and a suddenly depleted linebacker corps ahead of Sunday's Wild Card playoff game in Philadelphia.
The San Francisco 49ers elevated linebacker Jalen Graham and wide receiver Malik Turner from the practice squad for Sunday's 1:30 p.m. PT kickoff against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The team also downgraded wide receiver Jacob Cowing from questionable to out.
The 49ers opened Cowing's 21-day practice window on Wednesday after the wideout spent the entire regular season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Turner's elevation attempts to address ongoing concerns at wide receiver, though serious questions remain for a San Francisco passing offense that lacks high-end talent at the position. Second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall, who sat out last week's regular-season finale against Seattle, remains questionable for the Niners' first postseason game.
An already-thinned linebacker group took three more hits during the 49ers' Week 18 loss to the Seahawks, including a season-ending groin injury sustained by MIKE linebacker Tatum Bethune. Fellow starting inside linebacker Dee Winters and SAM linebacker Luke Gifford, who plays prominently on special teams, were also injured in Seattle and remain questionable for Sunday's matchup. Graham adds depth to a unit that also lost rookie Nick Martin earlier this season, while All-Pro LB Fred Warner, sidelined since Week 6 with an ankle injury, hopes to return if the 49ers advance to the NFC Championship Game.
In an encouraging sign for San Francisco's offensive line, the 49ers did not elevate any linemen from the practice squad today, suggesting star left tackle Trent Williams will be available despite his questionable designation. Williams' absence was felt—particularly by starting quarterback Brock Purdy—when the 37-year-old left tackle sat out last week's loss to Seattle with a hamstring injury.
Williams expressed optimism about playing against the Eagles on Friday, telling reporters he felt "definitely more confident than I felt a week ago." On Saturday, the NFL announced that the future Hall-of-Famer earned second-team All-Pro recognition for his play during the 2025 NFL regular season.
FOX will broadcast Sunday's game nationally as the San Francisco 49ers and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles kick off at 1:30 p.m. PT, in the second of three Wild Card matchups scheduled for the day. Active rosters will be announced 90 minutes before kickoff.