The San Francisco 49ers have placed Eric Rogers on the Injured Reserve list, officially ending his season. The wide receiver suffered a torn ACL during practice on August 4. Rogers, who played in the CFL in 2015, was signed as a free agent in January.
The 49ers also released nine players on Saturday, bringing their roster count down to 79 players. They have until 1 PM PT on Tuesday to get the roster down to 75 players.
There were high hopes for Rogers, who at 6-foot-3 and 210 lbs, had good size for a receiver lining up on the outside. The injury was the first significant one of training camp, which started on July 30.
Rogers visited with the Eagles in December when Kelly was still the head coach there. Kelly reportedly called Rogers to recruit him within hours of learning that he would become the 49ers' new coach. "He basically told me, 'I guess I had to come to Cali to sign you since you're a Cali boy,'" said Rogers in January. Kelly also stated that Rogers was the first player that he wanted to sign at his new job.
Rogers spent time with the Dallas Cowboys prior to the 2013 season, but failed to make the final roster. He spent time in the Arena Football League before moving on to the CFL. Last year, Rogers caught 87 passes for 1,448 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Calgary Stampeders.
Rogers had 13 offers from NFL teams before ultimately deciding to join the 49ers.