The San Francisco 49ers are looking in an interesting spot for potential roster help ahead of their Week 7 showdown against the Atlanta Falcons on “Sunday Night Football” in former Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
A fourth-round pick (No. 124 overall) by the Lions in the 2017 NFL draft, Reeves-Maybin is currently a free agent. He’s also the NFLPA president, drawing even more attention to the 49ers’ interest in him.
The 49ers have been beset by injuries, including losing All-Pro middle linebacker Fred Warner to a season-ending ankle injury. Whether or not the 49ers believe Reeves-Maybin can be part of the group effort to replace Warner remains to be seen.
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“The Lions cut linebacker and NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin in March. He has since not landed with another team,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on Saturday. “He received a recent opportunity with the 49ers, along with four other linebackers.
“Reeves-Maybin was not signed. [The] lingering unemployment of Reeves-Maybin could become a problem in March 2026, when it’s time to elect a new union president.”
Reeves-Maybin has started 14 of his 114 career games played.
The 30-year-old linebacker has recorded 221 total tackles, eight pass deflections, five QB hits, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 1.5 sacks in his career. He appeared in 10 games for the Lions last season and was named to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player in 2023.
Notably, Reeves-Maybin is also the spokesperson for the NFLPA’s ongoing search for a new executive director following the resignation of Lloyd Howell in July. Chief strategy officer JC Tretter stepped down just three days later.
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The 49ers need some experience at linebacker with their current group consisting of Dee Winters, Luke Gifford, Curtis Robinson, Nick Martin, and Tatum Bethune boasting just 20 starts between them. Winters has 16 of those by himself.
Reeves-Maybin, who also spent time with the Houston Texans, could be a low-cost solution to a significant problem for the 49ers as they sort through their options before the trade deadline.
