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49ers helmet.

The San Francisco 49ers are in the process of trying to create cap room and roster space as they welcome in their 2026 rookie class. In an effort to open up more room on the 90-man roster, GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have decided to part ways with a veteran cornerback after he did not play during the 2025 season.

According to NFL insider David Lombardi, San Francisco made the move to cut former sixth-round draft choice Tre Tomlinson on Thursday. Again, it was a necessary move that needed to be made by 49ers brass.

The San Francisco 49ers Could Afford to Lose Tre Tomlinson

GettyCB Tre Tomlinson won the Jim Thorpe Award while at TCU in 2022.

Here is what Lombardi had to say about the Niners deciding to cut ties with Tomlinson after he spent the entire 2025 season on the practice squad:

“The 49ers claimed Tre Tomlinson in March 2025 but he did not play for them. Team needs 90-man roster room right now so he is one of the necessary cuts.”

After spending the first two seasons of his young NFL career with the arch-rival Los Angeles Rams. The former three-time First-Team All-Big 12 cornerback played in 15 games for Los Angeles as a rookie, where he recorded 13 combined tackles and played 78% of his snaps that year on special teams. He did not play any snaps during the 2024 season. Furthermore, after getting claimed off waivers by the Niners in March of 2025, he was unable to log any snaps this past season, as Lombardi noted.

The 49ers Have Plenty of CB Depth to Lean on

Getty49ers GM John Lynch has been with the organization since 2017.

Not only was the loss of Tomlinson necessary, but San Francisco has plenty of cornerback depth to hold up without him. After drafting Ephesians Prysock in the fourth round of last week’s NFL Draft, new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris now has a lot to work with at the position. Starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who already knows Prysock very well, as well as veteran Jack Jones, will look to shut down passing lanes against opposing offenses.

What will also help the cornerback room is the elite front that the team possesses. Thanks to the All-Pro play of linebacker Fred Warner and edge-rusher Nick Bosa over the years, San Francisco has been one of the more consistent and elite defensive teams ever since the team became contenders in 2019.

After winning 12 games last season and making it to the divisional round before being sent home by the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, it is clear that the Super Bowl window is still open for this team. As the saying goes, defense wins championships, and that will be the key for Shanahan and Co. this season.

In a loaded NFC West with the Seahawks and always-contending Rams, the Niners will have their work cut out for them on defense. The same is true outside of the division, as the NFC has the chance to be stacked from top to bottom.