The San Francisco 49ers managed to overcome another batch of injuries in Week 6 to hand the Washington Commanders a 23-17 defeat on Monday Night Football. What the Niners have done through six games is wildly impressive, but it is beginning to reach a point where their injury woes are becoming tough to overcome.
As a result, the front office is constantly looking for ways to tweak its roster to meet the needs of its team. Shortly after beating the Commanders, the 49ers decided to make an immediate change, as the team opted to release veteran defensive tackle Naquan Jones on Tuesday afternoon.
49ers Release Naquan Jones After Commanders Win
The 49ers are releasing veteran DT Naquan Jones, per source. San Francisco needed a roster spot, and now Jones — who's vested and not subject to waivers — is a free agent.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 20, 2026
Jones is in his sixth NFL season, and he was brought to town earlier this season in an effort to help shore up San Fran’s defensive line. The 49ers managed to steal Jones off of the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, and he ended up playing in three games for his new team, racking up a pair of tackles.
Against Washington, Jones didn’t play, so the writing was on the wall for him when it came to his time with the team. While the Niners are very banged up in the injury department, they have several guys close to making their return from injuries, so the team needed a roster spot.
The guy who ended up being let go was Jones, as San Fran feels comfortable with its current defensive line construction. With an open roster spot now, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the front office make a corresponding injury move in the near future.
The 49ers are releasing veteran DT Naquan Jones, per source,” Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported in a post on X. “San Francisco needed a roster spot, and now Jones — who’s vested and not subject to waivers — is a free agent.”
49ers Look to Remain Undefeated in Week 7
Jones didn’t necessarily do much during his time in town, but he still managed to fill a hole for San Francisco during a time when it desperately needed some help. With the 49ers getting a little bit healthier, there simply wasn’t a need for Jones, so he will hit the free agent market and look to find a new home ahead of Week 7.
As for the Niners, they will look to continue their undefeated start to the 2026 campaign when they square off against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Falcons have been one of the more confusing teams in the league, as they have the capacity to explode for points, but they don’t always manage to play up to their potential. With several players close to overcoming their injury woes, look for San Francisco to earn its seventh straight victory when it returns to action.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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