The San Francisco 49ers made several roster moves on Thursday, and one is a biggie. The team formally promoted CB Emmanuel Moseley from the practice squad, and activated LB Dekoda Watson and S Marcell Harris from injury lists. They had two free roster spots, and to clear a third, they waived quarterback Tom Savage. The team also waived WR Aaron Burbridge from the practice squad and signed WR Victor Bolden and CB Greg Mabin to the practice squad.
The decision to waive Savage means C.J. Beathard is healthy enough to be active for Thursday Night Football. It does not guarantee he will start, but at the very least he can serve as Nick Mullens backup.
I suspect Beathard will be starting even though he was a DNP on Monday and Tuesday, and limited on Wednesday. The 49ers only conducted walkthrough practices, saving the full go for game-time so their bodies could recover on the short week. Mullens has gotten all the first team reps, but if Beathard’s wrist and thumb are healthy enough to be available, it makes sense he would start.
That being said, we’ll likely find out for certain as game time approaches. The team will announce inactives at approximately 3:50 p.m. They might announce notable changes to the starting lineup, but also when they run through pre-game drills, we can see who is getting the work with the first team.