The 49ers on Wednesday announced a pair of roster moves that stemmed from moves the team made Tuesday. San Francisco added safety Antone Exum Jr., and officially opened defensive lineman Kentavius Street’s practice window.
Street can now return from injured reserve, where he’s been since before the first week of the season. Players who go on IR have to spend at least six weeks there before their practice window can be opened. They can’t return to the field until after eight weeks. Street is well beyond that eight-week threshold and can therefore return when he’s ready. The 2018 fourth-round pick has yet to see action in a regular season game after knee injuries plagued his first two years.
Exum is a familiar face in the 49ers secondary. He played in 15 games with seven starts at both safety spots last year. He was cut before final roster cuts, but quickly re-signed earlier this season. The 49ers cut him again in early October after he played in three games.
Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt is dealing with a rib injury that forced him to miss Wednesday’s practice. Exum gives the 49ers some experienced depth that can also contribute on special teams. He would likely slot in behind Marcell Harris, the second-year safety who filled in Sunday after Tartt got hurt.
San Francisco has at least one roster move remaining if they plan on activating Street. Simply opening his practice window doesn’t mean he’s on the roster. Adding him to the 53-man would require releasing another player. It initially looked like the release of kicker Chase McLaughlin would be the move that opened a roster spot for Street, but Exum filled that vacancy.
The 49ers will either have to release a player or move one of their injured players to IR and end their season. That decision won’t need to come down until Saturday prior to the team’s game in New Orleans.