The 49ers on Saturday announced a handful of roster moves ahead of their Week 8 showdown with the Bears in Chicago. Most of the shuffling came on the defensive line where Kevin Givens was activated off injured reserve and Jordan Willis was added to the roster following the conclusion of his suspension. Javon Kinlaw, who underwent season-ending knee surgery, was officially placed on IR, along with strong safety Jaquiski Tartt who is dealing with a knee contusion. Tight end Jordan Matthews and safety Kai Nacua were elevated from the practice squad.
Givens suffered a high ankle sprain in the 49ers’ Week 2 win over the Eagles. He’s been a nice find for them since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019. In 16 career games he has 1.0 sacks, 21 tackles and five tackles for loss. His presence on the interior will be key in Kinlaw’s absence.
The NFL handed Willis a six-game suspension this offseason for violating their performance-enhancing substance policy. That suspension was lifted after the 49ers’ loss to the Colts, and he was with the team in the lead up to Week 8 thanks to a roster exemption that allows suspended players to be on the roster for a week without counting against the 53-player limit.
Willis’ return will be key with Dee Ford likely out with a concussion and Samson Ebukam questionable with an ankle issue. The 49ers acquired Willis in a trade with the Jets last season. He posted 2.5 sacks in seven games.
Kinlaw had knee surgery to help fix a problem that had ailed him since the draft. The hope is a season-ending procedure now will help him be ready to play a full slate next year after missing two games this season. His absence in the middle will require the 49ers to dig into the depth the established in the interior this offseason.
Tartt is expected to miss a few weeks with his knee injury, and an IR stint means he’ll miss a minimum of three games. He was injured in the 49ers’ loss to the Colts in Week 7. Rookie Talanoa Hufanga will take his place in the starting lineup.
Matthews gives the 49ers some additional tight end depth. He’s a better pass-catching option than Tanner Hudson who had been working as the third tight end with George Kittle out.
Nacua will help the depth in the secondary and fill a special teams role while Hufanga gets the start at safety.
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