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Getty San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks with general manager John Lynch.
NFL rosters will see many changes over the next few months, and some teams like the San Francisco 49ers are already getting started.
When the rookie offseason work began last weekend, the teams had to cut their roster down to a total of 90 players. To fit into their 14-man undrafted free agent class, San Francisco had to make way.
Unfortunately for wide receiver Connor Wedington, this meant he was looking inside from the outside. The 49ers announced they had officially signed their UDFAs when they released Wedington on May 13.
As San Francisco continues without Wedington, the former Stanford Cardinals standout is making the move to the Houston Texans. The AFC South team was awarded Wedington with waivers on May 16, according to Pro Football Network reporter Aaron Wilson.
“Texans have awarded Kendall Sheffield and Connor Wedington waivers from Falcons and 49ers, respectively,” Wilson tweeted.
If Wedington isn’t exactly a household name, that’s because he spent his time in San Francisco on the training team. The soon-to-be 23-year-old is still trying to establish himself in the NFL, having played with the Seattle Seahawks and then the 49ers.
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Wedington comes to the NFL
After four seasons at Stanford, Wedington went undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft. After starting out as a running back in Palo Alto, California, Wedington switched to receiver but never built flashy stats.
The 6’0″ receiver caught 106 receptions for 971 receiving yards and one touchdown in 31 games with Stanford, according to Sports Reference. In his second and final season, Wedington was thwarted by an injury that reduced playing time.
Seattle were the first team to take a chance at the receiver last spring, signing Wedington on May 2, according to Spotrac. He did not make the 53-man roster but was accepted into the team’s practice squad the following September.
Less than a full month later, Wedington was released and San Francisco picked him up for their practice team. The receiver retained his practice spot with the 49ers through the end of the season. Wedington is yet to play his first NFL snap of the regular season.
The 49ers’ current wide receiver group
With Wedington on the way to Houston, the 49ers now have 10 receivers listed on the official website roster:
Deebo Samuel Brandon Aiyuk Jauan Jennings Ray-Ray McCloud Austin Mack KeeSean Johnson Marcus Johnson Taysir Mack Tay Martin Malik Turner
Samuel, Aiyuk and Jennings are the easily recognizable names from last season, but every other name on the list is either a player signed in free agency or added as an undrafted free agent.
One name not yet listed, however, is the 49ers’ third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Danny Gray. The reason Gray’s name is missing is because he hasn’t signed his rookie contract with San Francisco yet, but he’s certainly worth counting as an option.
Gray burst onto the national scene last fall when he caught 49 receptions for 809 yards and nine touchdowns, according to Sports Reference.
San Francisco will likely only be rolling with 5-6 receivers when it comes time for definitive roster cuts, meaning at least a few more names will follow Wedington out the door sometime this summer or fall.
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