Jeff Wilson Jr. staked his claim to a roster spot with a 20-carry, 100-yard, one-touchdown performance in the preseason finale. It wasn’t enough to get him on the roster. The 49ers will release Wilson as part of their roster cuts according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Wilson is a lock for the practice squad if he clears waivers. He averaged 4.0 yards-per-carry as an undrafted rookie a season ago. He backed up his strong rookie campaign with a good preseason showing. His training camp was limited by a calf injury, he looked quicker and continued running hard once he got back to action.
The 49ers placed running back Jerick McKinnon on season-ending IR, which might’ve opened the door for Wilson to make the roster. However, San Francisco elected to let him go and keep running backs Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert instead.
They’re likely hoping Wilson clears waivers and gets back to their practice squad. If that happens, it would allow them to activate him in the event they suffer injuries in their backfield.
