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49ers Free Agency Puts Writing on the Wall for Five Veterans

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 10:01 AM ET

The San Francisco 49ers made some big additions in free agency that will change the perception of other players currently on the roster. Who ended up being the players that are now watching their status after the first week or so of free agent moves?

Jordan Watkins

Jordan Watkins was unlikely to be a starter after his disappointing rookie season. The fourth-round pick hardly saw the field, so it was hard for the team to trust him on it. Still, with Brandon Aiyuk out the door and Jauan Jennings testing the free agent market, it opened a chance for him to play.

The Mike Evans signing may not have killed his chances, but the Christian Kirk signing did. Kirk will play the role that they wanted Watkins to fill, and barring an injury, Watkins will not play and may not be active on gamedays. Of course, San Francisco may also draft someone, hurting his chances even more.

Dee Winters

Winters was up and down during his first season as a starter. He started off fine, but when Fred Warner went down with an injury, he was quickly exposed. Now, the team has re-signed Dre Greenlaw, essentially admitting that it was a mistake to have trusted Winters.

Winters will hope to win the SAM linebacker spot after losing out in this role. Still, they re-signed Luke Gifford as well, so this will not be handed to him.

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Renardo Green

Green is not quite as buried as the first two, but he enters a pivotal year three. Nate Hobbs has starter qualities when healthy, and the team did not like the way that Green progressed in year two. It would not be a shock to see Green get benched if the 49ers continue to be disappointed with his progression, and now they have the player to do it with.

CJ West and Austen Pleasants

These are less impactful, but both players are in lesser roles than they expected not too long ago. West was always expected to be depth, but with the team struggling to find answers up front, he was listed as a starter before the Osa Odighizuwa trade. Now, he is back into his normal, expected role.

Pleasants started a key Week 18 game against the Seattle Seahawks after handling himself well with a lot of snaps against the Chicago Bears in the week prior. Still, with Vederien Lowe in the mix, the 49ers are admitting that they do not want that to happen again.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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