The 49ers on Wednesday made a flurry of expected roster moves official. They placed center Weston Richburg on Injured Reserve, ending his season. They also re-signed wide receiver Jordan Matthews and cornerback Dontae Johnson. The 49ers made a pair of practice squad additions as well.
Richburg tore his patellar tendon in the third quarter of the 49ers’ Week 14 win in New Orleans. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday said Richburg would go on IR, but it wasn’t made official until Wednesday.
The Matthews re-signing came on the heels of Marquise Goodwin’s move to Injured Reserve. With Goodwin out, the 49ers had just five wide receivers on the roster. Matthews gives some added depth in his third stint with the club. He was with the team throughout camp and released at final roster cuts. He spent three weeks in October with San Francisco before getting cut again. Now he’s back after a short stop with the Eagles. This time in Santa Clara should be more permanent for Matthews with the 49ers so limited on available bodies. His experience with the offense should allow him to step in and play right away if necessary.
Johnson is another player making his third stop in Santa Clara. He was with the team in the offseason and for a few weeks in October and November. Johnson gives the 49ers some cornerback depth with Richard Sherman battling a hamstring injury. Adam Caplan initially reported his signing.
San Francisco also rounded out its 10-man practice squad with offensive lineman Kofi Amichia and cornerback Jermaine Kelly.
Amichia was a sixth-round pick of the Packers in the 2017 draft out of South Florida. He spent time on their practice squad, along with the Ravens and Panthers practice squads. He’s yet to play in an NFL game.
Kelly was a sixth-round pick of the Texans out of San Jose State in the 2018 draft. He was hurt his rookie season and eventually released before signing with the 49ers’ practice squad.