The San Francisco 49ers need bodies along their interior defensive line, with rookie James Thompson Jr. set to miss time with a high-ankle sprain.
Tom Pelissero tweeted that the 49ers are signing veteran Naquan Jones off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Jones, 6’3″, 313 pounds, played 177 snaps in 2025 with the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers. He spent 2023 and 2024 with the Arizona Cardinals. Jones spent the first three years of his career with the Titans.
Per Sumer Sports, Jones
had 13 tackles with two misses in 2025. He recorded 13 impact plays across 177 snaps. Don’t expect much as a pass rusher. He had only two pressures, with a 3.3% win rate. His run-stop percentage was a bit better at 4.8%.
The 49ers are hoping that Jones can hold his ground and keep linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw uncovered for a couple of weeks until the team gets healthier. But if Jones shows he can produce, he could carve out a role for himself on a roster that is extremely thin at defensive tackle.
Heading into Week 3, Osa Odighizuwa, CJ West, and Gracen Halton are the only healthy bodies on the roster. Jones becomes the fourth player and an experienced depth piece.
This move also suggests the 49ers did not want to use Sebastian Valdez, Kevin Givens, or McKinnley Jackson — the defensive tackles from the practice squad — in a game setting.
