Brutal news for the 49ers.
Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott reportedly injured his foot during practice and was carted off the field, which suggests the injury is serious. The 49ers officially listed Elliott as limited in Thursday's practice because technically he participated until he went down. Kyle Shanahan will provide more information when he speaks to the media on Friday.
The 49ers signed Elliott this offseason to be a backup defensive tackle. Through three games, he has played 57 defensive snaps and recorded two tackles. But this past Sunday, starting defensive tackle Javon Hargrave partially tore his tricep and the 49ers placed him on season-ending Injured Reserve.
Which means Elliott was supposed to be the next man up. He was supposed to replace Hargrave in the starting lineup. And while Elliott can't replace the pressure Hargrave creates on the quarterback, Elliott has the ability to improve the run defense when healthy.
Now the 49ers will have to turn to Kevin Givens to start at defensive tackle next to Maliek Collins. Givens has been a quality backup defensive tackle for the 49ers since 2019. He even started 11 games in 2022 when they had the no. 1 defense in the league. So he's not a liability.
But the 49ers now are incredibly thin at defensive tackle. They have Collins, Givens and that's about it. Look for them to call up at least one defensive tackle for the practice squad. Also, Kalia Davis will be eligible to come off Injured Reserve next week.
