The San Francisco 49ers have touched down in Melbourne, Australia, and are ready to go for Thursday night’s NFL season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
With days still remaining before the game, roster moves will continue as teams determine who will play and who won’t while constructing their practice squads.
On Sunday evening, the 49ers announced another roster move.
49ers Sign 26-Year-Old Tight End
San Francisco announced on social media and its transactions page that it had signed 26-year-old tight end Brayden Willis to the practice squad, roughly 24 hours after waiving him.
Willis traveled to Australia with the team before the 49ers waived him, but he never left the country. He’ll now remain with San Francisco as part of its practice squad.
“The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have signed TE Brayden Willis to the team’s practice squad,” the 49ers posted.
The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have signed TE Brayden Willis to the team’s practice squad.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 6, 2026
Willis’ NFL Career
The 49ers drafted Willis in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s remained with the organization throughout his first three NFL seasons. However, he has yet to record a reception in the regular season.
Willis has primarily contributed as a special teams player and blocker. Through his first three seasons, he appeared in 23 games and logged 357 special teams snaps and 86 offensive snaps.
He played seven games as a rookie in 2023, appeared in 10 games during his sophomore season and then played six games in 2025.
Looking at the 49ers
San Francisco is one of the oldest teams in the NFL this season, but there’s still plenty of optimism surrounding what this talented roster can accomplish under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The 49ers reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season but suffered a 41-6 blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers Sign 26-Year-Old Player Days Before Rams Game