The final cuts are never easy, especially when a team’s 53-man roster has to be settled before the season begins. But for one San Francisco 49ers tight end, the timing of that decision made for an especially frustrating journey. He had already endured a long flight to Australia before finding out where he stood with the team.
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Brayden Willis is the player in question. He was among the players actively fighting to retain his spot on the team and also showed versatility during the preseason, with the 49ers going 2-1 in the preseason games. Willis thought this was enough to impress the team and continue to play his fourth season with them. But little did he know that the 49ers had changed their plans.
“The only thing worse than getting cut by an NFL team,” John Breech of CBS Sports wrote on Saturday. “Is getting cut after flying 16 hours to Australia, and that’s exactly what happened to 49ers tight end Brayden Willis on Saturday.
“Willis was released to make room for long snapper Jon Weeks, who was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad.”
While Willis initially made the 53-man roster alongside three other tight ends, including seven-time Pro Bowler George Kittle, young veteran Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges, the 49ers were still sorting through their own roster decisions. On Saturday, they released Willis.
But why was this decision taken? Here’s where Jon Weeks comes into play.
While selecting the initial 53-man roster, the 49ers made a blunder. They had forgotten to add even a single long snapper to their team, and they didn’t just miss out on any long snapper, but the two-time Pro Bowler, Weeks.
But as soon as this crossed their minds, they were willing to cut someone from the team to keep him, and Willis eventually became the sacrificial lamb.
All that said, another question comes to mind: why did Willis need to travel to Australia?
Well, that’s because, as part of the NFL’s record-breaking International games schedule this season, the 49ers will play against the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 10.
While Willis wasn’t the main man for the job, with Kittle already there, he still had opportunities. Ever since being picked by the team in the 2023 NFL Draft, Willis has mostly spent his time on special teams, playing 23 games in three seasons for the 49ers and recording 10 special teams tackles.
Though he was good in the preseason, also playing as fullback 15 times when Kyle Juszczyk broke his finger, things did not go his way. At least that’s what everyone thought up to now, as the latest reports reveal another twist in his tale.
49ers’ Brayden Willis is back on the team after clearing the waivers
While not being part of the team surely would have affected Willis’ morale, what was more tiresome was the fact that he had taken a long flight to Australia for practically doing nothing. But things don’t end there.
The 49ers have signed him back to the practice squad on Sunday after he cleared the waivers. Now that he’s back on the team, he will definitely be a great option behind Kittle, who tore his Achilles tendon in January and was recovering coming into Week 1 of the regular season.
With just a few days left, Willis will be eager to see the injury report on Monday, which can potentially determine his chances of playing the season opener in Australia.
Speaking of Australia, this will be the first time an NFL game will be held here, but this hasn’t bothered head coach Kyle Shanahan much.
“It’s cool for us,” Shanahan said. “We always have an advantage. I see it as one home game a year in L.A. Just the way our fans are and take over. It was disappointing to let them off the hook and get them out of that. Knowing how our fans roll, I have a feeling they won’t be much different here.”
While SoFi Stadium radiates boosting energy for the 49ers stars, they are apparently the most popular team in Australia as well, according to The Athletic. Though, given how long it takes to travel around the world to Australia, the players are surely going to be a little exhausted from the trip.