As the 49ers opened organized team activities (OTAs) this week, veteran Corliss Waitman has been the lone punter participating in practices.
The delay has nothing to do with Bouwmeester having second thoughts about joining San Francisco. Instead, the issue is purely logistical.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Bouwmeester is still waiting for his work visa to be processed before he can officially join the team.
"Bouwmeester ostensibly is competing with Corliss Waitman to be the 49ers' punter this season, but cannot join OTAs until the paperwork is processed," Barrows wrote.
Hopefully, for both Bouwmeester and the 49ers, the situation is resolved quickly so the rookie punter does not fall too far behind in the competition for the job.
Earlier this month, special teams coordinator Brant Boyer expressed excitement about the upcoming battle between Waitman and Bouwmeester.
"You have a veteran guy that's been in the league a while and is a very athletic guy, and interestingly enough, when he was coming out, I was trying to get him as a free agent," Boyer said of Waitman. "So, I had a previous relationship with the guy, with Waitman. He's a super good guy, got a real powerful leg, athletic guy."
The 49ers were equally impressed with Bouwmeester during the pre-draft evaluation process and moved aggressively to secure him after the draft.
"And then Bouwmeester, through all our tape studies, went and worked him out and everything like that, did a heck of a job for us," Boyer said. "I've known his coach for a long time and trust what he tells me as well. And we really liked him in our interviews and everything like that. I think it's going to be a great competition moving forward."
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