Overview
- Sam Okuayinonu suffered a foot injury in the 49ers’ final practice and was ruled out and placed on injured reserve on Friday, so he did not travel with the team to Melbourne.
- San Francisco signed Khalid Kareem to a one-year deal after poaching him from the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad and reported that he was en route to join the team in Australia.
- The move addresses an immediate roster need because the 49ers already had limited edge depth with Mykel Williams on PUP/IR, Romello Height limited by an ankle issue, and Nick Bosa managing knee tendinitis.
- Kareem’s recent work under Raheem Morris in Atlanta was a key factor in the quick signing because it should shorten the learning curve and let him contribute right away.
- Expect the 49ers to elevate additional practice-squad options such as Ogbo Okoronkwo or Kevin Givens for game-day depth and for the club to manage Nick Bosa and Keion White’s snaps to cover the increased pass-rush workload.