The 49ers acquired wide receiver Jeremy Kerley in a trade with the Lions on Sunday and it looks like he’ll have a shot to step into the role once earmarked for Bruce Ellington.
Ellington was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season a few days after he suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s game against the Packers. While teams can hold off on designating a player to return from injured reserve, players eligible for that slot need to be on the initial 53-man roster so Ellington won’t be back until 2017.
Ellington had one catch in the preseason while also serving as a kick and punt returner. The 2014 fourth-round pick had 19 catches for 215 yards in his first two seasons and appeared to be on track for a significant role on offense this season.
The 49ers also cut linebacker Jason Fanaika to reach the 75-man limit.