49ers waive former Saints LB Kiko Alonso with failed physical designation
One former member of the New Orleans Saints is on the move. Veteran linebacker Kiko Alonso, acquired in a 2019 preseason trade with the Miami Dolphins and recently shipped to the San Francisco 49ers for linebacker Kwon Alexander, cleared waivers on Tuesday after being released by San Francisco on Monday, per the NFL daily transactions wire.
It’s the latest tough break for Alonso, who played well in New Orleans last season before tearing his ACL in January’s playoffs loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Alonso had already suffered a series of knee injuries before this and, while optimistic about his recovery during the long offseason, was unable to return to practice after being traded to the 49ers.
Alonso was not the only asset picked up by San Francisco in the trade. The Saints also traded a future fifth-round draft pick, which will be transferred in either 2021 or 2022 depending on how often Alexander plays for New Orleans this season. He saw 61% of snaps in his first game with the Saints (ironically against his old 49ers team) before logging 74% of snaps in last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, so he’s likely on track to meet those incentives.
So now they’ve waived him, and no other team chose to submit a waivers claim. Alonso is a free agent and eligible to sign with a new team once his knee has healed and he can pass a physical. But it appears he’ll be a long shot to play again in 2020.
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