The 49ers are designating defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos to return from injured reserve, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
Gross-Matos, 27, appeared in San Francisco’s first five games of the season before going down with a hamstring strain. He spent a few weeks on the shelf before re-aggravating the injury at the end of October. That forced the six-year veteran onto IR on November 1, and his absence has now extended to eight games.
The 49ers have been decimated by injuries this season on both sides of the ball, and their defensive end room has been no exception. All-Pro Nick Bosa and first-round rookie Mykel Williams are both out for the season, which, along with Matos’ injury, has forced the team to pivot. Bryce Huff and Sam Okuayinonu have stepped up to lead the position group in snaps with mid-season acquisitions Keion White and Clelin Ferrell also taking on rotational roles.
Those four are not churning out high-level production – the 49ers are last in the NFL with 16 sacks – but they have stopped the run effectively and contributed to some turnovers in the last few weeks. That has kept San Francisco in the NFC playoff picture through their Week 14 bye. Getting Gross-Matos back would at least add some depth to the team’s defensive line, though he did not have a great start to the year. He only logged four tackles and one quarterback hit before he got hurt, but at the time, he occupied a 27% snap share. There may be much more playing time available once he returns to the field.
Gross-Matos will have 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added to the active roster or revert to season-ending IR.