49ers waive former UFL standout who was always facing uphill battle to make 53-man roster

The San Francisco 49ers have begun the process of cutting their roster down to 53 players.

San Francisco must complete that task by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and the Niners have reportedly already said farewell, at least for now, to two players.

Matt Breida was the first to be released, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, his second stint with the team coming to an early end. Breida could, however, be a candidate for a place on the 49er practice squad.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 then reported wide receiver Jontre Kirklin had been waived.

Kirklin was signed on August 7 following a hugely successful season with the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League.

The former LSU wideout, a member of the Tigers' National Championship-winning team in the 2019 season, led the UFL with 56 catches in its inaugural year. His 614 receiving yards were second in the league behind only UFL Offensive Player of the Year Hakeem Butler , while he also caught three receiving touchdowns.

But, signing as late as he did with a team blessed with the kind of the depth the 49ers have at receiver after spending two draft picks on wideouts, Kirklin was always an extreme long shot to make the roster.

Having played only 12 snaps in the preseason, Kirklin did not have much chance to impress other teams. His hopes of sticking on a team in 2024 may rest on the 49ers seeing enough in practice to give him a spot on their practice squad for the campaign.

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