49ers waive offensive lineman Zach Thomas, who had been on a reserve/future deal

San Francisco released Zachary (Zach) Thomas ahead of training camp, ending a short stint that began with a reserve/future contract signed in January.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The San Francisco 49ers have waived offensive lineman Zach Thomas, a move reported ahead of training camp that clears roster space for new competition along the offensive front. According to Yahoo Sports, Thomas was released after San Francisco signed him to a Reserve/Future contract earlier in the offseason.

Reserve/Future contracts are commonly used by NFL teams to retain players for offseason workouts and the preseason roster-building process. Yahoo Sports reported that the 49ers signed Thomas to that type of deal on January 21, treating him as an organizational option for the coming training camp window.

Thomas entered the league as a rookie, with Yahoo Sports reporting that he was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. That same report ties his draft rights to the Chicago Bears, meaning Thomas’ NFL origin story begins in Chicago before turning into an offseason opportunity with San Francisco.

For the 49ers, a waiver at this stage is typically less about a single-season evaluation and more about the math of training camp. Teams sort through multiple candidates at offensive line, trying to identify who can handle position-specific technique demands while also fitting the team’s depth chart needs for the regular season.

While Yahoo Sports’ account focuses on the waiver and the reserve/future signing, it does not add additional specifics such as where Thomas stood on the team’s depth chart, whether he participated in any offseason activities, or what role the 49ers envisioned for him as camp approached. Those details are often available later through official transaction logs and training-camp roster updates.

The timing matters for both player and team. A player released before training camp can be claimed by another club, returned to the market, or re-signed by a different team looking for depth and developmental traits. For San Francisco, waiving Thomas reduces friction in its preseason roster plan and helps narrow the group of linemen who will compete for limited spots.

What to watch next is whether Thomas draws interest from other teams in the waiver process, and how the 49ers’ offensive line group evolves as camp rosters finalize. For San Francisco, the bigger takeaway is that even after investing a reserve/future spot, the competition for an opening on the active roster remains immediate and unforgiving.

Why It Matters

Reserve/Future signings are often used to build depth for camp, but a waiver shows the team’s need to refine the preseason competition group quickly.
Offensive line roster decisions in July can influence how quickly a team can respond to performance issues during the preseason.
For the player, a waiver before camp creates a new path, including potential claims by other teams seeking line depth.
For the 49ers, the move is one step in shaping the offensive line depth chart for the regular season.

Sources

Key Facts

The 49ers waived offensive lineman Zach Thomas ahead of training camp.
San Francisco signed Thomas to a Reserve/Future contract on January 21.
Thomas was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears drafted Thomas in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The reported transaction ends Thomas’ offseason opportunity with the 49ers.