49ers elevate Judon and promote Valdez before Broncos game

The 49ers elevated Matthew Judon from their practice squad Saturday for Sunday's game against Denver. San Francisco also promoted defensive lineman Sebastian Valdez to its 53-man roster, waived Viliami Fehoko Jr. and elevated receiver Malik Turner. The team's roster announcement confirms a game-day place for Judon after Monday's practice-squad signing.

Valdez's promotion follows his NFL debut in last week's win over Arizona. He played 32 defensive snaps and recorded three tackles, including one solo stop, Marc Adams of 49ers Webzone reported. Fehoko played 13 defensive snaps in that game. Saturday's moves give Valdez the permanent active spot while Judon comes up through a standard elevation.

Judon brings 72 career sacks in 145 regular-season games, including 100 starts. He earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2019 through 2022. Adams reported that Judon finished 2025 with no sacks in 14 appearances split between Miami and Buffalo. His career record supplies experience to an injured line; Sunday's assignment will provide the next evidence of his current production.

Nick Bosa has been ruled out, and Keion White is dealing with a hamstring injury. Judon signed with San Francisco on Monday after the club evaluated reinforcements for its defensive line. Saturday's elevation settles his game-day availability without establishing a promised snap count.

Turner adds a veteran special-teams option after joining the practice squad Thursday. The 49ers enter the Denver game at 3-0 after beating Arizona 36-30. Their transactions address active-roster and game-day depth separately: Valdez joins the 53, while Judon and Turner are standard elevations.