Getty Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers talks with general manager John Lynch.
NFL rosters are about to undergo a lot of changes over the next few months, and some teams like the San Francisco 49ers are already getting started.
As rookie offseason work began this past weekend, teams needed to trim their roster to 90 total players. In order to fit their 14-man undrafted free agent class, San Francisco had to make room.
Unfortunately for wide receiver Connor Wedington, that meant he was on the outside looking in. The 49ers announced they had officially signed their UDFAs while releasing Wedington on May 13.
As San Francisco moves on without Wedington, the former Stanford Cardinal standout is heading to the Houston Texans. The AFC South team was awarded Wedington on waivers on May 16, according to Pro Football Network reporter Aaron Wilson.
“Texans awarded Kendall Sheffield and Connor Wedington off waivers from Falcons and 49ers, respectively,” Wilson Tweeted.
If Wedington isn’t exactly a familiar name, that’s because he spent his time with San Francisco on the practice squad. The soon-to-be 23-year-old is still trying to establish his NFL footing after stints with the Seattle Seahawks and then the 49ers.
ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!
Wedington Arrives in NFL
After four seasons at Stanford, Wedington went undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft. After starting out as a running back in Palo Alto, California, Wedington switched to receiver but never built up eye-catching stats.
The 6’0″ receiver caught 106 receptions for 971 receiving yards and a touchdown over 31 games with Stanford according to Sports Reference. Injury got in Wedington’s way in his sophomore and senior seasons, which cut into playing time.
Seattle was the first team to take a chance on the receiver last spring, signing Wedington on May 2 according to Spotrac. He didn’t make the 53-man roster, but was added to the team’s practice squad the following September.
Less than a full month later, Wedington was released and San Francisco picked him up for their practice squad. The receiver maintained his practice squad spot with the 49ers through the end of the season. Wedington has yet to play his first regular-season NFL snap.
49ers’ Current Wide Receiver Group
With Wedington headed to Houston, the 49ers now have 10 receivers listed on the official website roster:
- Deebo Samuel
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Jauan Jennings
- Ray-Ray McCloud
- Austin Mack
- KeeSean Johnson
- Marcus Johnson
- Taysir Mack
- Tay Martin
- Malik Turner
Samuel, Aiyuk and Jennings are the easily recognizable names from last season, but every other name on the list is either a player signed in free agency or added as an undrafted free agent.
However, a name not yet listed is the 49ers third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Danny Gray. The reason why Gray’s name is missing is because has not yet signed his rookie contract with San Francisco, but he’s certainly worth counting as an option.
Gray burst onto the national scene last fall when he caught 49 receptions for 809 receiving yards and nine touchdowns according to Sports Reference.
San Francisco will likely only roll with only 5-6 receivers when its time for final roster cuts, which means at least a few more names will be following Wedington out the door at some point this summer or fall.