The Niners are making a few changes to their practice squad ahead of Week 4’s matchup against the Cardinals
One day after signing Jeremy McNichols to the practice squad, the 49ers officially released him in favor of positions that appear to be more pressing needs.
I wondered whether signing McNichols was due to an injury at running back, or if releasing Troy Fumagalli was because of a numbers game at tight end. Neither of those were true as San Francisco signed a tight end to the practice squad, in addition to a pair of defensive backs:
S Tre Norwood
CB Kendall Sheffield
TE Jake Tonges
Norwood was drafted in the seventh round in 2021 out of Oklahoma by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started three games in each of his first two seasons. His numbers are impressive from a season ago, as Norwood allowed four completions on 13 targets for a putrid 3.1 yards per target. Three of those completions resulted in pass breakups.
Norwood likely gets called up to replace Tre Swilling, who had more penalties than tackles for the 49ers on special teams.
Sheffield was a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 out of Ohio State by the Falcons. He did not play last year and only appeared in two games in 2021. He did start nine games in 2020 and 11 in 2019 for Atlanta, but that was a long time ago. Sheffield is only 27.
Tonges appeared in three games last year for the Chicago Bears, only registering a target. He was an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of the University of California.