The San Francisco 49ers made a roster move on Monday, waiving tight end Brian Leonhardt. The team originally signed Leonhardt to the practice squad on November 17, 2015 and promoted him to the active roster on December 12, 2015. He appeared in four games for the 49ers, recording one reception for four yards.
The move comes five days after Adam Caplan reported that the 49ers and Garrett were closing in on a new contract. Celek is a free agent this offseason. He has shown solid blocking and some pass catching skills, but he has also dealt with a variety of injuries. This waiver move likely has nothing to do with Celek's extension because Leonhardt would have been a long-shot to make the roster even if Celek walked in free agency.
The 49ers currently have 72 players on their roster. Excluding Kyle Nelson, who is only nominally a tight end, the team has five tight ends. They include Celek, Vance McDonald, Blake Bell, Busta Anderson, and Je'Ron Hamm.