The 26-year-old tight end had earned the trip. He shook off a concussion suffered in the preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 27, returned to practice within days, and boarded the team charter for the flight to Melbourne to be part of a franchise-first NFL game on Australian soil.

Then, on Saturday, the 49ers announced they were promoting 40-year-old long snapper Jon Weeks from the practice squad to the active roster. Weeks, a two-time Pro Bowler entering his 17th NFL season, is the specialist a team wants suiting up on game day. To create the spot, the 49ers waived Willis.

Kittle’s health made the roster call

The move was read as good news for George Kittle. San Francisco’s All-Pro tight end has been recovering from an Achilles injury, and Willis’s release signalled that Kittle would be available for the opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

For Willis, the timing was brutal in a way only the NFL can arrange. A seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma in the 2023 draft, he has no regular-season receptions across 23 career appearances and has built his role through special teams and blocking. He also lined up at fullback 15 times in preseason, positioning himself as a versatile depth piece behind veteran Kyle Juszczyk.

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Back on the practice squad

The story did not end at the boarding gate. Willis cleared waivers unclaimed on Sunday, and the 49ers immediately signed him back to their practice squad. He stayed with the team in Australia throughout.

Willis will watch from the sideline as a practice-squad tight end, ineligible to play unless elevated. The 49ers and Rams kick off at 10:35am local time on Friday, September 11 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

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