The 49ers’ kicking nightmare may be over. Long snapper Kyle Nelson finished his 10-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, and can now rejoin the 49ers. The team officially released long snapper Garrison Sanborn on Tuesday, marking the third time this season San Francisco has parted ways with a long snapper.
Nelson’s 10-game suspension began in Week 14 last year, so he missed the final four games and the first six of this season. The 33-year-old to a four-year deal this offseason.
Their long snapper carousel began in mid-September when they released Colin Holba after their Week 2 matchup against the Bengals. Long-time veteran Jon Condo replaced Holba for one game before announcing his retirement. That led the club to sign Sanborn for the final three games of Nelson’s suspension.
The 49ers have had a bona fide issue with field goals this season. Robbie Gould has already missed a career-high seven kicks, and the rotating long snappers makes it seem as though that portion of the placekicking mechanics may have been off.
Nelson’s return eliminates that excuse though. He’s been good for the 49ers since joining the club in 2014. If his return fixes the kicking game, it might wind up being the most important move in NFL history involving a long snapper.
