The 49ers have released linebacker Philip Wheeler, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Wheeler was dealing with a hamstring issue for most of camp, but he’s finally healthy and notched two sacks on Thursday night, as Getlin notes (link). Wheeler had a week 1 roster bonus for $130K with the 49ers, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap tweets.
As a veteran with experience, Wheeler could be picked up rather quickly by another team in need of a linebacker. The 30-year-old signed on with San Francisco in late April. Wheeler has spent time with the Colts, Raiders, and Dolphins over the course of his seven-year career and in total, he has played in 108 games (60 starts). For his career, he has registered 455 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In 2013 with the Dolphins, he led the team with a career-high 118 tackles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Wheeler as the 18th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 set last season, giving him an overall grade of 2.6.