The San Francisco 49ers on Monday made a handful of roster moves that included waiving tight end Mason Pline, cornerback Tre Avery, quarterback Tanner Mordecai and wide receiver Isaiah Neyor.
Pline was picked up by the New Orleans Saints and Avery was claimed by the New England Patriots according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Mordecai and Neyor were unclaimed and are now unrestricted free agents.
The 49ers added Pline as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL draft. He spent the year on the team’s practice squad. Pline played in two of the 49ers’ three preseason games and didn’t catch his only target. He was in a crowded TE room and was let go when the team needed to add players at running back, wide receiver and in the trenches leading up to their joint practice with the Denver Broncos.
Avery went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Tennessee Titans. He played in 38 games across two-plus seasons in Tennessee before getting let go late last year. The 49ers claimed him off waivers in Week 17, but he didn’t appear in either of the team’s final two games.
It’s a small surprise Neyor cleared waivers. He’s a tremendous athlete at 6-4, 218 pounds. While it’s not a great sign for him that he was released from a receiving corps that needed bodies, his size and athleticism are intriguing enough that he should get another shot with an NFL club before the preseason is up.
While it doesn’t appear likely Neyor will return to San Francisco, don’t rule out Mordecai making his way back at some point. The team signed Carter Bradley as a third signal caller, but Mordecai has been in the system for a full year after signing as a UDFA last season and spending the season on the practice squad. If Bradley doesn’t perform well in camp and the preseason, the team may try to bring back Mordecai as its third QB.
More 49ers: A new NFL rule nearly caused 49ers TE George Kittle to retire