Victor Bolden changes number, could mean Nick Mullens will play

The San Francisco 49ers are benching 29 players, meaning some players further down the depth chart will get more chances. For some players, it could mean their first opportunity of the preseason.

Wide receiver Victor Bolden has been a standout in the preseason, and on Thursday, he is changing his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 83. This would normally be fairly meaningless, but for the preseason finale, it could mean that Nick Mullens might get some playing time.

Entering tonight, Bolden and Mullens were both wearing the No. 1 jersey. You can’t have two players wearing the same number on the field at the same time. Switching Bolden to No. 83 means they could get both of them out there. This could mean either Mullens will get in late in the game, or they want to have the option available in case C.J. Beathard or Matt Barkley suffers an injury.

I always enjoy seeing a random end of the roster player perform well in the preseason finale, so hopefully it’s the former!