
Rookie wide receiver DeAndre Smelter’s three-week practice period ended on Monday and he will remain on the non-football injury list for the remainder of the season.
Smelter, a fourth-round draft pick from Georgia Tech, sustained a torn ACL in his left knee on Nov. 29, 2014, in a game against Georgia. Smelter (6-foot-2, 227 pounds) caught 35 passes for 715 yards and seven touchdowns in Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense. The 49ers drafted him with the No. 132 overall selection.
Smelter was placed on the non-football injury list at the beginning of training camp. He practiced for the maximum three weeks before the 49ers opted Monday against placing him on the 53-man roster for the final four games.
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Because he is spending the entire season on the non-football injury list, Smelter does not receive an accrued season toward free agency. At the expiration of his current four-year contract, the 49ers will still partially control Smelter’s rights as a restricted free agent.