49ers Sign Defensive Lineman Evan Anderson to One-Year Deal, Waive/Injure Titus Leo

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have signed defensive lineman Evan Anderson to a one-year deal, a transaction that reinforces their front-line depth as they work through the preseason roster process. The move also comes with a corresponding roster adjustment: to make room, the team waived/injured defensive lineman Titus Leo, per the club’s official release on August 18, 2026.

On the football side, this is the kind of late-summer addition that often matters more than the name recognition suggests. For teams that plan to keep a tight rotation on the defensive line, a one-year contract can provide flexibility for injuries and matchup changes while giving the organization another look at a player’s fit in its pass-rush and run-defense schemes. Even without additional public detail, the timing indicates San Francisco is actively shaping the end-of-camp roster and the group that will be available during the regular season.

Anderson’s signing places him into the 49ers’ defensive front and puts him in position to compete for snaps among the interior and edge rotation. The club did not elaborate in the announcement on role expectations or the specific competitive lane he will be pursuing, but the nature of a one-year agreement typically indicates an evaluative component. It also suggests the organization is comfortable with short-term flexibility, whether that means developing continuity on the defensive line or covering possible gaps that can emerge as camps progress.

The corresponding roster move involved Leo. The 49ers said they waived/injured Leo in order to create the roster space required for the Anderson signing. In NFL roster terms, “waived/injured” generally reflects a team’s decision to place a player on the waiver wire while accounting for injury status, which can affect where the player lands next. Beyond that procedural explanation, the announcement did not provide additional information on the injury itself.

For the 49ers, the practical impact of the pair of moves is about numbers and readiness. Defensive line depth tends to be tested by early-season health, the physical demands of training camp and preseason games, and the need for fresh bodies in both run defense and pass rush. Adding Anderson can help maintain competition at defensive line spots, while the waived/injured action indicates San Francisco is also managing the roster in a way that keeps the group usable and compliant with league limits.

What to watch next is how Anderson performs in practice and preseason opportunities, and whether Leo’s situation results in him being claimed, reverting through waiver processes, or otherwise changing teams or status. The 49ers have not released additional specifics in the transaction announcement, so the next meaningful developments are likely to come through subsequent roster updates from the club and the league’s daily transaction reporting. Until then, the clearest takeaway is that San Francisco is actively adjusting its defensive front through short-term personnel moves ahead of the regular season.