49ers To Designate DE Yetur Gross-Matos To Return From IR
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.
49ers DT Kevin Givens To Miss Regular Season Time
A pectoral injury will leave Kevin Givens sidelined for the foreseeable future. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the veteran defensive tackle will miss “a chunk” of the 2025 season. 
Givens entered the league with low expectations as an undrafted free agent, but he has managed to carve out a noteworthy NFL career. Each of his six seasons to date have come with San Francisco, and in 2022 he logged 11 starts and a career-high snap share of 44%. More commonly, though, the 28-year-old has occupied a rotational role along the defensive front.
That was set to remain the case in 2025, but Givens is now facing a lengthy recovery period. An injured reserve-designated for return placement during roster cutdowns would allow for an activation at some point during the regular season, but it would also require at least a four-game absence to begin the campaign. With a lengthy rehab process apparently in store, the 49ers will move forward with a DT group which lost Javon Hargrave via release this spring and added Alfred Collins during the second round of the draft.
In other injury news, Shanahan said running back Isaac Guerendo is week-to-week with a shoulder injury. A large role could be in store for the 2024 fourth-rounder backing up Christian McCaffrey this year, provided he can stay healthy of course. Guerendo has time to recover in advance of Week 1, but his status will be worth watching. Likewise, defensive end Sam Okuayinonu is facing a multi-week absence, per Shanahan.
As a result of the injury-induced absences the 49ers are currently dealing with at several positions, a slew of moves were made earlier today. That included the release of kicker Greg Joseph. Jake Moody is the only kicker in place at the moment, but Shanahan noted (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area) the decision to cut Joseph was based on other roster constraints rather than a poor showing on the veteran’s part. As such, Moody is not necessarily assured of the kicking gig pending how he performs during the remainder of the summer. The kicker position could still be one to watch as San Francisco balances a number of injury situations.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/26/25
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed RFA tender: OL Cade Mays
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed ERFA tender: DT Matthew Butler
New York Giants
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Dyontae Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed ERFA tender: DL Sam Okuayinonu
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR James Proche
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 2/18/25
Tuesday’s free agent tender decisions:
ERFAs
Tendered:
- 49ers: DT Evan Anderson, DE Alex Barrett, LB Jalen Graham, DE Sam Okuayinonu, T Austen Pleasants, TE Jake Tonges, TE Brayden Willis
The 49ers made the decision today to tender all of their exclusive rights free agents today. The move restricts the seven players from negotiating with other teams. The players will have the choice to accept the offer and play for the 49ers or not play football in 2025.
San Francisco also has two restricted free agents: linebacker Curtis Robinson and running back Jordan Mason. It is yet to be seen what the team will do with those players who, if tendered, would be allowed to negotiate with other teams but would have to give the 49ers the chance to match any offer.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/24
Minor transactions and practice squad callups for the Week 4 weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: DT Angelo Blackson, T Charlie Heck
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: G Matt Hennessy
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Chris Collier
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Thomas Incoom, DE DeShawn Williams
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DT Byron Cowart, S Tarvarius Moore
- Placed on IR: TE Stephen Carlson (story)
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: CB Tony Brown, TE Geoff Swaim
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LB Levelle Bailey, S Tanner McCalister
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: CB Kamal Hadden, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: DT Adam Gotsis, CB David Long
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: TE Josiah Deguara
- Elevated: CB Christian Braswell, LB Tanner Muse
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: TE John Samuel Shenker
- Elevated: WR Alex Bachman, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
- Waived: WR Ramel Keyton
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Blake Lynch, C Sam Mustipher
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: WR Xavier Smith, CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: OLB Bo Richter, TE Robert Tonyan
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Isaiah Bolden
- Elevated: DT Trysten Hill, TE Mitchell Wilcox
- Placed on IR: CB Alex Austin
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: G Kyle Hergel
New York Jets
- Elevated: DT Bruce Hector, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell, WR John Ross
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: CB Thomas Graham Jr., RB Aaron Shampklin
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Sam Okuayinonu
- Elevated: DT Evan Anderson, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Placed on IR: DT Javon Hargrave (story), LB Curtis Robinson (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: P Trenton Gill, WR Sterling Shepard
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DE Andre Jones Jr., RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
49ers TE George Kittle Out Sunday With Hamstring Injury
The hits just keep coming to the 49ers offense. First, preseason injuries left San Francisco without starting guard Jon Feliciano and rookie first-round wideout Ricky Pearsall. Then, star running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve after being unable to start the season healthy. Then, a calf injury to versatile receiver Deebo Samuel robbed the team of another weapon for a presumed several weeks. All this while the team’s other leading wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, struggles to find his groove after the preseason holdout for his new contract. 
Now, the 49ers’ star tight end, George Kittle, will be the next key offensive piece in San Francisco to miss time. According to a team announcement, Kittle has been downgraded from doubtful to out as he deals with a hamstring injury. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds to the report, claiming that the injury does not appear to be serious, and the team is hopeful that he’ll be able to return to the field in Week 4. Hamstring injuries, though, have a tendency to linger, and even if he is able to shake it off enough to play next week, there’s a chance that he may not be 100 percent if the injury persists.
Quarterback Brock Purdy‘s supporting cast now consists of Jordan Mason at running back, Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Chris Conley at receiver, and Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges at tight end. Mason has been phenomenal in his replacement duties for McCaffrey. His 247 rushing yards through two weeks ranks second only to J.K. Dobbins (266 yards) for most in the NFL. With Samuel and Kittle gone, Jennings enters Week 3 as the team’s leading active receiver with 101 yards over two weeks. He’s followed in that statistic by Aiyuk (71 yards) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (59 yards). Kittle is the only skill player with a receiving touchdown this season for the 49ers. Saubert (26 yards) is the only other tight end on the roster with a target.
In addition to Kittle’s absence, San Francisco also announced tomorrow’s standard gameday practice squad elevations. Tight end Brayden Willis and defensive end Sam Okuayinonu will get the honors of joining the active roster against the Rams. Willis will add some depth behind Saubert and Tonges, while Okuayinonu will add some depth in pass rushing situations for the second time this season. Both players will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s divisional matchup.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/24
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: TE Feleipe Franks
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Chris Smith
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguavoen, OL Jake Hanson
- Promoted: TE Anthony Firkser, DL Jalyn Holmes
- Placed on IR: LB Zaire Barnes
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated: OT Trent Williams
- Promoted: DE Sam Okuayinonu, DB Tracy Walker III
- Released: OT Brandon Parker
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/2/24
Here are Monday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Praise Olatoke
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Rashad Weaver
- Released: DE Malik Fisher
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB David Long
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Blake Larson
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris, LB Yvandy Rigby
New York Giants
- Signed: TE/FB Jakob Johnson
- Released: WR Miles Boykin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Ayo Oyelola
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Sam Okuayinonu, LB DaShaun White
- Released: T Sebastian Gutierrez
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Kendell Brooks
Weaver has dropped from the player who logged 640 defensive snaps in 2022, when Harold Landry was sidelined for the year, to the practice squad level. The Titans waived Weaver after setting their initial 53-man roster. He will follow ex-teammate Teair Tart by joining the Texans’ D-line upon being a Titans cut. Though, Tart landed in Houston via waiver claim and never dropped to the P-squad. Weaver registered 5.5 sacks in 2022 but did not record any in 15 games last season.
The Giants waived Long last week. He will join a Colts team that has made multiple moves at corner since setting its initial roster. Indianapolis, which took some heat for not augmenting its outside CB situation this offseason, claimed Samuel Womack off waivers from San Francisco and waived Darrell Baker. Long, a former Rams third-round pick, played for three teams (Raiders, Panthers, Packers in 2023.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.
Arizona Cardinals
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Andre Baccellia, LB Markus Bailey, LB Krys Barnes, OL Jackson Barton, RB Michael Carter, WR Dan Chisena, CB Jaden Davis, OL Marquis Hayes, OL Keith Ismael, LB Julian Okwara, WR Tejhaun Palmer, QB Desmond Ridder, TE Bernhard Seikovits, DL Ben Stille, CB Divaad Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
Signed:
- DT Neville Gallimore (story)
Claimed:
Waived:
- DT Cory Durden
Placed on IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- OL A.J. Arcuri, OL Justin Dedich, B Zach Evans, TE Miller Forristall, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Shaun Jolly, TE Nikola Kalinic, DB Cam Lampkin, DT Tuli Letuligasenoa, OL Mike McAllister, DT David Olajiga, WR Xavier Smith, WR Drake Stoops, DB Jason Taylor II, OLB Keir Thomas, LB Zach VanValkenburg, WR Sam Wiglusz
San Francisco 49ers
Signed:
- OL Ben Bartch, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., TE Eric Saubert, CB Rock Ya-Sin
Claimed:
Waived:
Placed on IR:
- OL Jon Feliciano, CB Ambry Thomas
Signed to practice squad:
- DE Jonathan Garvin, DB Chase Lucas, S Tracy Walker
Seattle Seahawks
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Artie Burns
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/13/24
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- OL Chandler Brewer, DB Tevaughn Campbell, DL D.J. Coleman, OLB De’Shaan Dixon, DB Erick Hallett II, LB Dequan Jackson, DB Amani Oruwariye, DL Esezi Otomewo, DB Ayo Oyelola, TE Josh Pederson, OL Keaton Sutherland, OL Darryl Williams, WR Seth Williams
Kansas City Chiefs
- DT Isaiah Buggs
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Sebastian Gutierrez, DB Kemon Hall, S Erik Harris, S Tayler Hawkins, WR Tay Martin, DL Sam Okuayinonu, LB Curtis Robinson, TE Jake Tonges, DL Spencer Waege
Oruwariye spent much of the 2023 season on the Jaguars practice squad, with the defensive back getting into just one game. The former fifth-round pick has more experience than your standard reserve/futures contract, as Oruwariye started 29 games for the Lions between 2020 and 2021. That latter season was one of his strongest, as he finished with 57 tackles, 11 passes defended, and six interceptions.