Chargers vs. 49ers preseason preview: Much at stake for fringe players
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers host the Los Angeles Chargers in both teams’ 2019 NFL preseason finale, meaning all of the fringe players will be on notice before final roster cuts this Saturday.
Less than a week from now, fans will know the San Francisco 49ers‘ final 53-man roster ahead of the 2019 regular season.
But on Thursday, Aug. 29, the Niners will host the Los Angeles Chargers for both teams’ final NFL preseason bout this year.
For most fans, Week 4 of the preseason isn’t exactly must-watch television. The previous week marked the contest in which the majority of NFL teams held their dress rehearsal for the regular season. In this particular contest, an overwhelming number of starters won’t even be dressed, let alone see a decent number of snaps.
No, NFL preseason Week 4 is all but reserved for those on the absolute periphery of any team’s roster, getting this last shot to impress coaching staffs, not just on their respective teams, but on 31 other squads as well.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is likely eyeing five or six openings for his 53-man roster, as I broke down with KNBR 680’s Mark Willard earlier this week:
There are practice squad spots up for grabs, too, along with a handful of battles to be had to determine roster positioning.
All told, Week 4’s contest won’t look anything like a regular-season game, and many of the players for both San Francisco and Los Angeles will see their NFL dreams come to a conclusion Thursday night.
Still, the contest should make for some interesting storylines and analysis points.
Niner Noise breaks down what you should pay attention to during this particular bout before the regular season kicks off in September.