49ers place defensive tackle sensational ace on IR with an…
The 49ers have placed defensive tackle Kalia Davis on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury in the team’s 45-29 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
This is another blow to the interior of the 49ers’ defensive line which already is thin due to the absences of Arik Armstead, who is dealing with foot//knee injuries, and Javon Hargrave, who missed the club’s Week 15 matchup with a hamstring injury.
All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is a free agent that general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan could pursue to add depth, but as of Monday, they had not made a move.
“Not yet,” Shanahan said via conference call on Monday. “I’m not ruling out anything. We have guys on our practice squad as you guys see that we used last week. But, that stuff we also aren’t exactly sure when Hargrave and Armstead are coming back.
“We do know they have chances this week. So, there’s a lot of variables that are playing together that we’ll be discussing here the rest of the day, tomorrow. Even if we don’t make a move in any area, that’ll probably be continuing throughout the year.”
On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Suh had visited with the Miami Dolphins, but a deal had not been made.
If Armstead and Hargrave are not ready to return when the 49ers host the Baltimore Ravens on “Monday Night Football,” the front office could seek help outside of the building. Javon Kinlaw and Kevin Givens played most of the snaps on the interior of the defensive line with help from T.Y. McGill who had been promoted from the practice squad for the game.
Davis was on the field for 13 defensive snaps in Arizona before the injury and appeared in three games in 2023 before being placed on IR.
Davis was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 220 overall) by the 49ers and did not appear in any games as a rookie as he worked his way back from a knee injury suffered in October 2021 while attending the University of Central Florida.
Charvarius Ward had a career-best, two-interception performance in the 49ers’ 45-29 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium, and his coach Kyle Shanahan could see it coming.
“I think he’s not hesitating on anything, he’s running through the ball, he’s getting his hands up,” Shanahan said after the win. “Usually the first step in knocking balls down, which he does as good as anyone on the planet right now. It’s cool because he says it.”
Ward is leading the NFL in pass breakups (22) but had just two interceptions coming into the Week 15 contest. Sunday was the first two-interception game of his career, one of which was a pick six that broke an early 7-7 tie.
“When you knock balls down and run through them, eventually you’ll try to catch a couple,” Shanahan said. “Today was the first time I really saw him try to do that. He did it early in the game and got that pick six. Then the next one that went to him went, it was like it stuck to his hands. It was cool to do that first one. Hopefully there are many more to come.”
Ward was questionable to play in Arizona after suffering a groin injury early in the San Francisco’s Week 14 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The cornerback was only on the field for four snaps before exiting the game and did not practice with the team throughout the week.
Instead, Ward worked with team medical and training staff to get healthy enough to return. The Middle Tennessee State product was seen on the side field doing some light running while the remainder of the team went through their usual routine.
“Him all week, after his injury last week, just battling to get back for this game,” Shanahan said. “I was impressed with that. I considered him a long shot early in the week, and he kept saying he wasn’t. The way he did it and got out there on Friday and was good to go was so cool.”
Ward played 62 snaps, or 84 percent, of all defensive snaps in the desert and was not on the injury report following the game. The defensive back actually admitted feeling more energetic after missing most of the game the week prior, and subsequently only participating in a walk-through practice on Friday before heading to Arizona.
“Most definitely, I had fresh legs,” Ward said. “I missed most of the Seahawks game outside of three or four plays, but I didn’t practice at all until Friday. Friday was kind of like a walk through, so I didn’t run full speed all week.”
Ward and the secondary have another tough challenge ahead when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
