49ers coach hints at 2 positional battles this offseason
The 49ers don't have all their starting roles decided just yet.
The San Francisco 49ers ' roster is anything but shored up at this point in the offseason. While the biggest areas of concern have been filled and the majority of the team's starters can be ascertained, there are a few positions that could have new starters in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer noted recently that two key 49ers starting spots — punter and kick returner — will be up for grabs during the team's offseason workouts this spring and summer.
The 49ers signed veteran Corliss Waitman and brought rookie Jack Bouwmeester this offseason to replace Thomas Morstead at punter. Both players kick differently: Waitman with his left, while Bouwmeester with his right. That duality was by design, Boyer said.
“Because the ball spins different, right? ” he said . “So I think it’s really going to help.
And I think whoever the dust settles with at that position, it’ll be a great experience for those returners to have to catch those balls like that for sure. ” Waitman has punted 230 times in his career for 10,673 yards — an average of 46. 4 yards per punt.