SANTA CLARA – Defensive lineman Cedric Thornton, who played 98 games over the course of six NFL seasons, this week informed the 49ers of his plan to retire.
The 49ers re-signed defensive tackle Chris Jones to take Thornton’s spot on the team’s 90-man roster. Jones can play three of the four positions on the 49ers’ defensive line.
“(I’m) excited for Chris to get out there and put some tape on, because he’s a good football player,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “He’ll be able to show that in the next couple of weeks.”
Jones played six games for the 49ers in 2016 after appearing in 28 games in two seasons with New England and seven games in ’16 with Miami.