The San Francisco 49ers added another healthy body to an offensive line that has taken multiple hits during training camp.
San Francisco announced on August 10 that it signed former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. to a one-year deal. The 49ers released offensive lineman Nick Zakelj in the corresponding move.
Kramer’s addition comes at a particularly useful time for the 49ers. Zakelj recently suffered an elbow injury, while tackle Vederian Lowe has been sidelined by a high-ankle sprain. Offensive linemen Carver Willis and Brett Toth have also dealt with concussion protocol, leaving San Francisco searching for additional depth up front.
The 28-year-old Kramer brings experience at center and a résumé that includes stops with three NFC teams.
Doug Kramer Gives 49ers Another Experienced Option
Kramer entered the NFL when the Chicago Bears selected him with the No. 207 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
The 6-foot-2 lineman has appeared in 18 NFL games during stints with the Bears and has also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks. He joined Seattle’s practice squad on November 20, 2025, before the Seahawks released him on December 2.
That Seattle stint was brief, but it gives Kramer some familiarity with an NFC West environment before joining San Francisco.
Kramer played his college football at Illinois, where he became a longtime fixture along the offensive line. The 49ers listed him at 300 pounds in announcing the signing.
San Francisco is unlikely to view the move as a dramatic overhaul of its offensive line. Kramer instead represents something teams value greatly in August: an experienced, available interior lineman capable of taking practice and preseason snaps while the depth chart is depleted.
That matters with the 49ers continuing through training camp and needing enough healthy linemen to operate practices effectively.
Nick Zakelj Released After Suffering Elbow Injury
Kramer takes the roster spot previously held by Zakelj, who had been with the 49ers since San Francisco selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.
Zakelj suffered an elbow injury in practice shortly before his release. ESPN reported that the injury was the lone addition to San Francisco’s injury report following an August 5 practice.
The 49ers had signed Zakelj to a one-year extension on February 18, 2026, according to the team announcement.
His departure comes as San Francisco is navigating several injuries along the offensive line. Lowe’s high-ankle sprain is expected to keep him out for an extended stretch, while Willis and Toth have also been unavailable while in concussion protocol.
That combination provides the larger context for Kramer’s arrival.
He does not need to immediately win a major role for the signing to prove useful. At this stage of camp, the 49ers need enough reliable offensive linemen to get through practices, evaluate the rest of the offense and build out the back end of the depth chart.
Kramer now gets an opportunity to turn that need into a roster case of his own.
San Francisco 49ers Announce Signing of Former Seahawks Lineman