The 49ers announced Friday afternoon they have activated rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas from the Reserve/COVID-19 list while also waiving tight end Tanner Hudson.
Thomas is among five 49ers defensive backs who were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week, along with safety Jimmie Ward and cornerbacks K'Waun Williams, Dontae Johnson and Deommodore Lenoir. His clearance from the list is welcome news, considering how thin the 49ers were at the cornerback position heading into Friday.
49ers general manager John Lynch expressed optimism Friday morning that the team would get at least some of those players back before Sunday's season finale in Los Angeles against the Rams. Thomas is the first of those players to return to the active roster.
"I believe we will because the league altered their rules some time back when the CDC did as well," Lynch said on KNBR's Murph & Mac show. "Our vaccination rate was as high as there is in the league. And I think we've also been the beneficiary of being in an area where so many people are vaccinated. Up until this last week, we hadn't had one case, so this is the first time we're dealing with it."
Other cornerbacks expected to be available are Josh Norman as well as Emmanuel Moseley, who seems set to be activated after spending time on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.
"Today was the first time he got to do some full-speed stuff," Shanahan said of Moseley during an appearance on KNBR on Thursday. "Looked good out there. Him and Josh (Norman), they're the only guys out there who don't have COVID that are normal starters. So everyone else isn't out there. So it's been good work for him to not have to split it with anybody. We'll see where these other guys are at hopefully Saturday when hopefully they're allowed to come back into the building and we get to find out about their conditioning and stuff and where they're at. Thank goodness Moseley's available this week so we have another option."
Thomas, 22, was a third-round selection of the 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has 23 tackles and one tackle for loss in 11 games (four starts) this season. Hudson, 27, appeared in two games this season with the 49ers.