49ers re-sign safety Ashtyn Davis and punter Corliss Waitman to one-year deals

The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed safety Ashtyn Davis and punter Corliss Waitman to one-year contracts, according to a Monday announcement reported by Yahoo Sports. The moves come after the team reduced its roster to 53 players on Sunday, a key checkpoint that forces NFL clubs to decide which veterans and specialists stay in-house for the regular season.

Davis, a safety, returns to the 49ers after being released earlier in the process and not being subject to waivers, a detail that matters because it indicates San Francisco was able to bring him back without the normal claim or waiver complications. For a team that often relies on its safety group for coverage adjustments and run support, keeping an experienced piece in the defensive backfield can smooth early-season continuity.

Waitman, the 49ers punter, was also re-signed to a one-year deal after the same kind of release-and-return sequence. In the kicking game, punters can be among the most sensitive roster spots for timing and technique, so re-signing a veteran specialist typically reflects an effort to maintain consistency rather than turn over the role during the season’s first phase.

The reported announcement also indicates the 49ers placed two players on injured reserve. While the specific identities and injury details were not included in the available reporting, the placement itself indicates that San Francisco will manage roster availability immediately by creating space and adjusting depth plans for the start of the regular season.

Roster reductions and injury reserve designations are tightly connected in early roster construction. When a team trims to 53, it is simultaneously building for Week 1 and preparing for the near-term reality of practice-squad elevations, injury replacements, and game-day activation rules. The decision to bring back both a safety and a punter suggests the 49ers value stability in two functional areas: the defensive backfield’s communication and the special teams unit’s execution.

From a team-building standpoint, re-signing veterans can also report that San Francisco views its immediate depth chart as close to complete, even as IR moves indicate there are lingering availability constraints. The combination of two additions and two IR placements means the next round of roster activity is likely to focus on how the 49ers fill game-week roles and whether they elevate or sign additional specialists to cover the IR gaps.