49ers Cut Naquan Jones, Clearing Path for Christian Kirk's Return
San Francisco released DL Naquan Jones, likely to open a roster spot for Kirk, whose 21-day practice window is already ticking.
Window's open, but a WR43 off a calf injury isn't a plug-and-play WR3.
- Kirk's 21-day return window opened last week
- Kirk: WR43, 58 PPR pts across 13 games in 2025
- Jones totaled 2 tackles in 3 games this season
- Thompson returned Monday from a high ankle sprain
- Kirk down 2.2 FPTS/G vs 2025 average over last 5
The 49ers waved goodbye to defensive lineman Naquan Jones, and the timing tells you everything. Jones mustered just two tackles across three appearances this season, and once James Thompson returned Monday night from the high ankle sprain that cost him time since Week 2, Jones was already a healthy scratch. The math stopped working.
The more interesting name here is the one that didn't get cut. Christian Kirk has spent the entire season on injured reserve with a calf injury, and his 21-day return-to-practice window opened last week. Clearing Jones is the kind of quiet bookkeeping that usually precedes an activation — San Francisco needs the roster spot, and Kirk is the obvious reason to make it.
Jones, 28, leaves after a journeyman six-year run: 63 games, eight starts, 104 tackles, 6.5 sacks and five passes defensed. None of that moves the needle for fantasy, but the roster shuffle he triggered absolutely does.
What Kirk Actually Brings Back
Temper the excitement before you burn a waiver claim. Across 13 games in 2025, Kirk managed 28 catches for 239 yards and a single touchdown — just 58 PPR points, good for WR43 in our rankings (#109 overall). That's a depth profile, not a difference-maker, and his last five healthy games sat 2.2 fantasy points per game below his own 2025 average. The trend was already pointing down before the calf knocked him out.
There's also the obvious wrinkle: a soft-tissue injury that's lingered all season doesn't flip to full workload the moment a player returns. The window being open means practice, not a guaranteed Week 1-back-from-IR snap count. Expect a ramp, and expect San Francisco to protect him.
For fantasy managers, this is a watch-list move, nothing more. If you're in a deep PPR league and desperate for bodies, stash him and see how the practice reps trend. Everyone else can leave Kirk on the wire until he's active, playing real snaps, and showing the calf is a non-issue. The roster move is a signal — not a start order.
