The San Francisco 49ers will have Ahmad Brooks on the field in their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Jim Tomsula addressed the media following roster cuts, and he said he expected Brooks to be available for Monday Night Football. He acknowledged the team considered a variety of options, but Brooks will be there.
Brooks was indicted last month for misdemeanor sexual battery, which brought him under investigation by the team and the league. The league announced there was nothing in their investigation that warranted placing him on the Commissioner's Exempt list. That seemingly means he will be back on the field when the 49ers are on the field against the Vikings.
Brooks missed the final two preseason games following the indictment. Corey Lemonier and Eli Harold appeared to be competing for the opportunity to replace Brooks, but now it would seem like Brooks will be back in the starting lineup. The big question is what this means for Harold and Lemonier. I see Lemonier getting the special teams work, but Harold has more of a pass rush arsenal. Brooks is a strong cover guy, and can still get to the quarterback, so maybe it turns into a fairly basic rotation?