MELBOURNE - Sixteen hours from Santa Clara did not freeze the San Francisco 49ers' roster math.
The club announced Saturday that it had promoted long snapper Jon Weeks from the practice squad to the active roster and waived tight end Brayden Willis in the corresponding move, locking in the specialist who will work the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Weeks, 40, rejoined the active group after a brief cutdown detour. The 49ers released him Aug. 30, signed him to the practice squad a day later, then brought him back once the travel party was already in Australia, according to the team's transaction release.
Across 16 NFL seasons with Houston (2010-24) and San Francisco (2025), Weeks has appeared in 261 regular-season games and 16 postseason contests. He played all 17 games for the 49ers last season, recorded two special teams tackles and earned the second Pro Bowl of his career.
Why Willis was the corresponding cut
Willis, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma, appeared in six games for San Francisco in 2025 and registered six tackles, the club and NFL Trade Rumors reported. Niners Nation noted he had been used on special teams in the preseason without recording a solo tackle on 32 snaps, and that George Kittle's return plus Kyle Juszczyk's presence left little path to offensive snaps.
The same report argued the club may have preferred undrafted tight end Bryson Eason's preseason tape, but roster limits elsewhere - particularly on the defensive line - shaped who stayed. Willis made the trip to Melbourne only to be waived before kickoff week fully settled, a reminder that international openers do not pause the 53-man ledger.
Depth around the Rams game
The Weeks move sits beside other recent San Francisco adjustments, including the signing of defensive lineman Khalid Kareem and the injured-reserve placement of Sam Okuayinonu. Special teams reliability is non-negotiable in a Week 1 game that will be played Friday morning Melbourne time (Thursday evening on the West Coast), with kickoff listed at 5:35 p.m. PT on Sept. 10 at the MCG.
