49ers vs. Chargers: 5 players who need a strong game to stay on roster
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Linebacker Jonas Griffith
Let’s face it: Second-year linebacker Jonas Griffith, an undrafted free agent in 2020, was spectacular in Week 1 of the preseason, logging four tackles and breaking up two passes in the process, all the while being a major disruptor over the course of his 33 snaps taken.
Still, that might not be enough for him to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster.
The Niners’ linebacking depth chart is awfully fluid behind the two starters, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. And some should see it as thin, too, particularly with third-year pro Azeez Al-Shaair suffering a knee injury during camp that’ll likely keep him out until Week 1.
But in the case where a player has done a lot but still needs to do more, Griffith is emerging as the epitome.
Towards the end of the Chiefs game, news broke San Francisco was signing veteran linebacker Mychal Kendricks to a one-year deal. Kendricks, 30 years old, isn’t a shoo-in to make the 53-man roster. Yet he’s certainly an upgrade over many of the questionable options buried deeper on the depth chart.
It’s tough to truly assess where Griffith fits into that equation. One strong preseason outing is good and certainly helps. But if Al-Shaair is poised to come back and Kendricks, too, makes the roster, will the 49ers retain Griffith and go with five linebackers on the 53-man squad?
That’s a tough question to answer, prompting Griffith to respond with yet another quality outing this weekend.