The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back a familiar 326-pound presence for their defensive line.
San Francisco announced on August 18 that it signed defensive lineman Evan Anderson to a one-year contract while waiving/injured defensive lineman Titus Leo. The reunion comes less than a month after the 49ers waived Anderson on July 26.
For Anderson, the move provides another opportunity to stick with the only NFL organization he has played for. For the 49ers, it brings back a massive interior defender who already has regular-season experience in their system as the team continues shaping its roster during the preseason.
Evan Anderson Returns After July Release
Anderson, 24, originally joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic in May 2024.
The 6-foot-3, 326-pound defensive lineman worked his way into an NFL role during his rookie season, appearing in 12 games and making one start. He recorded 24 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, according to the 49ers.
Anderson spent time on San Francisco’s practice squad during the 2025 season before returning on a reserve/futures contract for 2026. The 49ers then waived him on July 26 as they made changes to the defensive line entering training camp.
Now he is back less than four weeks later.
That familiarity could be meaningful this late in the preseason. Anderson already knows the organization and has shown he can give San Francisco regular-season snaps, rather than arriving as a completely new developmental project.
His size also stands out. At 326 pounds, Anderson gives the 49ers another true interior body as roster decisions approach.
Anderson showed some backfield production before entering the NFL as well. During four seasons at Florida Atlantic, he totaled 145 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 39 games. He was named Third-Team All-AAC following his final college season in 2023.
49ers Move on From Titus Leo After 16 Days
Anderson takes the roster spot previously occupied by Titus Leo, although the two defenders have notably different builds.
San Francisco had signed Leo to a one-year contract on August 2. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 and has appeared in four NFL games.
Just 16 days after adding him, the 49ers designated Leo as waived/injured while signing Anderson. The team did not provide further details about Leo’s injury in its August 18 announcement.
Leo entered the league with an intriguing college résumé of his own. He produced 234 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and six forced fumbles over 38 games at Wagner.
The roster transaction does not necessarily represent a straight one-for-one positional replacement. Anderson carries 81 more pounds than Leo and profiles as a much bigger interior defensive-line option.
Instead, the move gives San Francisco a known player at a point on the calendar when available roster spots are becoming increasingly valuable.
Anderson has already gone from undrafted free agent to regular-season contributor with the 49ers once. After being released in July, the 326-pound defender now has another chance to make his case for a place in San Francisco.
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