In early August, the San Francisco 49ers attempted to get cornerback D.J. Reed, who had suffered a torn pectoral, onto their injured reserve. To do so, Reed would have had to make it through waivers and if successful, would’ve been on the I.R. for all of 2020. The 49ers weren’t successful in doing so, with their NFC West rival Seahawks claiming Reed.
While Reed still had a ways to go in his recovery, Seattle’s claim and subsequent placement on the NFI list left the door open for him to play this season.