The San Francisco 49ers agreed to terms with edge rusher Jah Joyner on Wednesday, bringing the defensive lineman to the Bay Area in time for Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team report via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson said. Joyner tried out for the 49ers on Wednesday and is expected to play in the game and take part in up to three practices afterward as the club evaluates him as a potential practice-squad candidate, the report added.
Immediate context: why Joyner matters now
The signing is a short‑term, practical move that addresses a clear need. San Francisco is short at defensive end: Nick Bosa is sidelined by knee tendinitis and rookie Romello Height is dealing with an ankle issue, the team’s reporting shows. That thinness has been compounded by the 49ers’ tendency in the final preseason game to sit many regulars, increasing the value of veteran bodies and camp signings who can play meaningful snaps for evaluation.
According to the reporting, the 49ers will have to make a corresponding roster move to stay at the 90‑player limit. This is the second defensive‑end addition in the final week of the preseason; the team also recently signed former Cowboys pick Viliami Fehoko. The slate of moves signals a narrow margin for error up front as San Francisco finishes its preseason work.
What Joyner brings and what’s uncertain
Joyner’s college résumé gives the 49ers measurable upside on paper. In five seasons at the University of Minnesota he played 43 games and compiled 14.5 sacks, with 12.0 of those coming across his final two seasons. He also posted 66 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and nine pass breakups during his collegiate career.
His professional resume is less settled. Yahoo! News’ writeup notes Joyner has been with the UFL’s Houston Gamblers and was released by the Dallas Renegades in March; it also reported that Joyner spent last offseason with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 draft. That particular point about his NFL experience is described as disputed in the available reporting, so the extent and continuity of his time on NFL rosters remain matters for verification.
What is clear from the 49ers’ perspective: Joyner gets an opportunity to show his pass‑rush traits in a game setting Thursday and then in contiguous practices. The team will be able to assess whether he offers short‑term depth for the preseason and whether he merits a longer look for the practice squad.
Preseason matchup and the broader evaluation environment
This comes against a backdrop in which neither side is expected to play many — if any — starters in the Week 3 preseason finale, an analysis in Sports Illustrated notes. That reduces the immediate competitive stakes but raises the importance of individual snaps for players on the roster bubble.
Sports Illustrated’s preseason piece also highlights the 49ers’ ongoing injury problems through training camp and preseason, arguing that Kyle Shanahan is likely to be extra cautious about who he plays and for how long in Las Vegas. That cautionary posture, SI suggested, boosts the value of signings like Joyner for short‑term depth and evaluation.
SI’s game preview includes betting lines and a prediction favoring the Raiders — a projection the outlet attributed to the Raiders’ home status and roster youth — and adds context on both coaching staffs’ preseason records. The piece notes Kyle Shanahan is 15‑13‑1 straight up and 16‑12‑1 against the spread as a head coach in the preseason; Klint Kubiak is 1‑1 straight up and 0‑2 against the spread in his preseason head‑coaching appearances. SI also pointed to Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza’s mixed preseason starts (10‑of‑16 for 97 yards and a touchdown in Week 1; 8‑of‑15 for 86 yards and an interception in Week 2) as part of its evaluation of how Las Vegas will approach the final tune‑up.
What this signing can — and can’t — change
Practically, Joyner’s addition gives the 49ers an extra edge‑rush option for Thursday and provides a fresh evaluation candidate if San Francisco chooses to rest more of its regulars. It is not, based on the reporting, a transformational roster move; rather, it is a low‑risk method for the team to fill a slot and assess a player with college production and recent UFL experience.
Longer‑term implications are not established by the available reporting. The team’s short‑term needs, the final preseason setting in which starters are often spared full games, and the reported disputed elements of Joyner’s NFL background mean it remains unknown whether he will stick beyond the immediate evaluation window.
For now, Joyner’s signing is a pragmatic footnote to San Francisco’s injury picture and the usual late‑preseason roster churn: a chance for a player to audition in a live setting and for the 49ers to add depth at a spot where they’ve been thin heading into the regular season.
