San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Alfred Collins tore his patella tendon and will miss the entirety of the 2026 season. The injury occurred in Australia in the days leading up to Thursday night’s NFC West clash between the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
Collins is a promising second-year defensive lineman. San Francisco embraced a defensive youth movement over the 2025 offseason and attempted to emulate
the Rams’ 2023-2024 turnaround. Collins was a significant piece of that investment as a second-round pick. The 49ers are also missing their first round pick from the same draft class, Mykel Williams, who suffered a season-ending injury last year and remains on the NFL’s Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Even more troubling is the history of recoveries from patella injuries. This is a setback that not only threatens Collins’ 2026 season but the trajectory of his career.
