The San Francisco 49ers added another player to their practice squad, signing former New England Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden.
Bolden fills the spot vacated by quarterback Adrian Martinez, who was released by San Francisco on December 9. For his part, Martinez was scooped up by the New York Jets, who signed him to their practice squad a day after his release as they deal with injuries to Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor.
With rookie Kurtis Rourke now back practicing after knee surgery, the Niners could afford to let Martinez walk, and they wasted little time filling his spot on the PS. A 2023 seventh-round pick, Bolden appeared in 14 games for New England, finishing with nine tackles and a tackle for loss. In limited coverage snaps in 2024, he allowed only three catches for 23 yards on seven targets.
More on the 49ers Signing Ex-Patriots CB Isaiah Bolden
At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Bolden made some waves at his Pro Day back in 2023, when he ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash. He began his college career at Florida State before transferring to Jackson State, where his athleticism helped put him on a few NFL radars.
For now, the 49ers likely see Bolden as a special teams piece and developmental depth behind a cornerback group headlined by Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green.
San Francisco’s defense has been a bit strange this season, at least statistically speaking. The Niners ‘D’ is currently ranked 20th in yards allowed (335.8 per game), but the unit is eighth in points allowed (20.7), and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has the group playing well overall. Saleh likes long, athletic corners, so that likely influenced the addition of Bolden, as well.
Week 15 Preview: Tennessee Titans visit Levi’s Stadium
Next up, the 9–4 49ers come out of their bye to host the Tennessee Titans, who sit at 2–11. The Titans are riding a rare high after a rare win, upsetting the Cleveland Browns, 31–29 in Week 14.
On paper, it should be an easy dub for the Niners. San Francisco has won three straight and is better in all three phases. Running back Christian McCaffrey will give the Titans defense all it can handle. Currently the only player in the league averaging more than 20 rushing yards and 60 receiving yards per game, CMC has cleared 128 scrimmage yards in seven of his last eight outings as a home favorite in California.
Tennessee, meanwhile, ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring at 15.5 points per game. On defense, they’re giving up 27.5 points per game, which is ranked 29th out of 32 teams. The Titans’ passing game with rookie QB Cam Ward and a young WRs corps has shown flashes, but the consistency just hasn’t been there.
“I mean, you can see why he was the first pick in the draft,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said about Ward. “You know, he throws like a top quarterback. He can make every throw on the field. I think when number one is open, he’s extremely accurate at hitting him. You see the ability.”
Kickoff is set for Sunday at 1:25 p.m. local time at Levi’s Stadium. It’ll be the Titans’ first visit to Santa Clara since 2017.
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