AUGUST 11: Thomas’ battle to crack the Niners’ roster just got much tougher. The CB suffered a broken right forearm in yesterday’s preseason loss to the Titans, and HC Kyle Shanahan said after the game that the injury would sideline Thomas for “some time” (via Maiocco). Maiocco notes that the team will have to decide whether to place Thomas on injured reserve or waive him with an injury settlement. In either event, San Francisco will likely sign another corner to take Thomas’ place.
AUGUST 9: Although the Brandon Aiyuk situation is dominating NFL headlines, the two-time 1,000-yard receiver is far from the only 49ers starter in a contract year. A host of defenders are also attached to expiring deals.
Both San Francisco’s cornerback regulars are in this boat. The team is interested in keeping Charvarius Ward around beyond 2024, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the reigning NFC champions also look to have Deommodore Lenoir on the re-up radar.
With the 49ers valuing Lenoir’s versatility, it would not surprise Fowler to see the team explore an extension with the former fifth-round pick. Extending Lenoir will not be easy, as San Francisco’s equation features Aiyuk, Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw and Aaron Banks as multiyear starters in contract years. Several months out, the team is projected to be more than $38MM over the 2025 cap.
Lenoir operates as an outside starter who can shift into the slot. A few teams have used corners in this capacity to maximize their skills or cover for a positional deficiency. The 49ers check both boxes, as they were unable to lock in a third corner last season. Logan Ryan, who signed with the team in December, played the slot role to close out the season.
A Lenoir deal may well come down to how Ward talks go, and the former can certainly enhance his value with a quality contract year. It will be interesting, then, to see if San Francisco makes Lenoir an offer early to preempt a potential contract-year value spike. Business may also be on hold while the team navigates an increasingly complex Aiyuk situation, and a Brock Purdy extension will affect all 2025 plans as well.
Lenoir, 24, intercepted three passes last season and allowed a career-low 75.2 passer rating as the closest defender. The 49ers have used Lenoir as a full-time player in each of the past two seasons, after previous slot K’Waun Williams departed, giving the Oregon alum a 90% defensive snap share in 2023. Pro Football Focus ranked Lenoir 23rd among corners last season. Should the 5-foot-10 defender continue on this path, he stands to — due to his age and versatility — attract a nice market if he hits free agency.
Although the 49ers discussed Patrick Surtain and Nate Hobbs at the trade deadline, they stood pat at corner last year. Ambry Thomas moved into the team’s No. 3 CB issue in the weeks following the deadline, but the 49ers gave him all of one defensive snap in the Super Bowl. More competitors for the CB3 gig are in place now, and NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco notes Thomas is in an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster.
Concern about Thomas’ form prompted the Surtain inquiry, but the Broncos set a monster price on the star corner. The 49ers later added Isaac Yiadom and Rock Ya-Sin in free agency and drafted Renardo Green in Round 2. Ya-Sin has extensive experience as a boundary corner, though he did not start regularly for the Ravens last year. Homegrown options Samuel Womack and Darrell Luter are also on the roster, making for a crowded competition as the Niners assemble a corner depth chart. Thomas would be exposed to waivers if cut by the August 27 deadline.