49ers’ Future Hope Cut at the Last Minute After a Weak Preseason

Graham, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Purdue, built his name on grit and versatility. Over two seasons bouncing between the active roster and practice squad, he won goodwill with special-teams hustle and the occasional splash—at times even drawing the “heat-seeking missile” label in the 49ers’ defensive culture . Entering summer 2025, many 53-man projections expected the linebacker room to carry six: Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Luke Gifford, Tatum Bethune, and Nick Martin looked secure—leaving a final spot to be fought over by Chazz Surratt, Curtis Robinson, and Jalen Graham.

But when the August lights came on, the production didn’t follow. Across three preseason games—including a 30–23 finale over the Chargers—Graham logged only a handful of tackles, no true splash plays, got targeted in coverage, and couldn’t recapture the juice fans remembered. By contrast, rookie Nick Martin seized his window—clean tackles in space, competent work in blitz looks, and a steady stream of plus grades from the staff; several projections now penciled Martin in as primary depth behind Winters.

The “tell” arrived in the preseason finale: Martin handled most second-team snaps while Graham was pushed to late-game duty—an apparent demotion local observers flagged as ominous on cutdown eve. In the final hours before the deadline, several outlets reiterated that the 49ers were trimming to 53 and that a few linebacker “bubble” names were in jeopardy.

Finalized on August 26, the decision underscored San Francisco’s unsentimental creed: performance over sentiment. Head coach Kyle Shanahan put it bluntly at Tuesday’s podium :
“Jalen gave us everything. But at this level, splash matters. Consistency matters. We had to make the tough call.”
League-wide, today is when every team gets to 53, sending hundreds of players to waivers before any claims or practice-squad returns.

Emotions ran hot among fans. “Graham was supposed to be the future next to Winters/Warner,” one X account lamented. Others pointed to linebacker depth and the rise of Nick Martin/Chazz Surratt, but few denied the drama. The latest roster projections repeatedly called this one of the tightest races on the 49ers’ defense this summer.

At 24, Graham’s story isn’t over. Teams needing a special-teams-friendly linebacker could place a claim within 24 hours; if not, a practice-squad return in the Bay Area remains possible. Graham broke his silence with a brief post on X:
“Faithful, thank you. This game tests you, but I’m not done.”

For The Faithful, this cut is more than a personnel shuffle—it’s a reminder of how quickly the NFL can turn dreams into uncertainty. For Jalen Graham, it’s another test of the will and warrior spirit that kept him in the fight these past two years. The next chapter may not be in Santa Clara, but his refusal to back down won’t be found on the waiver wire.