Is this cornerback playing his way off the 49ers' roster?

Just a few weeks ago, he was in the starting lineup.

Nov 10, 2022; Munich, Germany; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) during practice at FC Bayern Munich at Sabener Strabe. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When the San Francisco 49ers signed Tre Brown this offseason, the thought was that he was going to be competing to start. The emergence of Upton Stout has put that debate to rest, but Brown was still assumed to be in the mix. However, with just a few weeks to go until the start of the regular season, the debate seems to be more geared towards whether Brown will even make the team. 

Is Tre Brown dropping down the San Francisco 49ers depth chart?

Almost no 49ers starters suited up for their first preseason game, let alone got meaningful snaps. The team started Darrell Luter, Dallis Flowers, and Chase Lucas at cornerback, signaling that the team was going to be looking at their backup and depth options in this game. That is why it is so shocking to see that Brown played 20 snaps. 

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Brown did not start and played late into the second half. He came in behind all three cornerbacks and played on the outside. This is a significant development considering Flowers and Luter were already on the bench with their night over by the time Brown was out there. 

If the team wanted to get a look at Brown before he starts, he would have played much earlier, and he would have played ahead of one of Flowers or Luter. The fact that he was not has to be alarming. Based on the degree of player that was in the game when Brown was taking snaps, there was almost no chance he could improve his roster stock, but a strong chance for him to lower it. 

Beyond that, the three cornerbacks who did play ahead of him all performed well. Brown has not played much slot, so it is hard to see him catching Chase Lucas. Meanwhile, both Luter and Flowers made impressive plays against better competition. 

August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie (28, right) runs the football against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (28, left) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

When looking at the cornerback room, the top three starters appear to be set with Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, and Upton Stout. With Luter, Flowers, and Lucas ahead of Brown, there is a case to be made that he is the seventh cornerback on the roster entering preseason Week 2.

Going from fighting to start to the seventh cornerback on the roster is a bit of a dramatic fall, but that appears to be where Brown stacks up. Will Brown get more work in week two of the preseason, and will he play earlier? Or was this a sign of his roster standing?