49ers announce pair of roster moves ahead of key Thursday Night Football clash with Seahawks

A pair of injuries to starters had left the San Francisco 49ers looking shorthanded on the interior defensive line and at the safety position for the Week 6 Thursday Night Football matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

So it is no surprise that the 49ers have chosen to address those areas with their practice squad elevations for the critical primetime clash.

With defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (knee) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) r uled out , the 49ers were left with just three healthy players at both spots.

To address the lack of depth in those areas, the 49ers have elected to elevate rookies Evan Anderson and Jaylen Mahoney.

Defensive tackle Anderson is likely to have the greater role in the game. Previously elevated for the Week 4 win over the New England Patriots, his ability to hold his ground against double teams figures to be key to the 49ers' hopes of slowing down a Seahawks ground game led by Kenneth Walker III with support from Zach Charbonnet.

Mahoney will serve as additional insurance behind starting safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha, the latter set to make his first of what will likely be several starts with Hufanga ruled out for around a month.

Along with Mahoney, special teamer George Odum will backup Brown and Mustapha at the safety position.

As is the case with Anderson, Mahoney has now been elevated from the practice squad twice this season. With the 49ers only able to promote a single player three times and Hufanga on injured reserve, San Francisco may soon need to decide if it wishes to sign Mahoney to the 53-man roster.

But that is the question for another day. The immediate focus for San Francisco is on registering a divisonal win that would put them top of the NFC West despite a disappointing start to the season.

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