The San Francisco 49ers will be in scramble mode in the hours leading up to their regular season opener vs. the Los Angeles Rams following a season-ending knee injury to defensive tackle Alfred Collins.
Collins sustained a torn patellar tendon
during Tuesday's practice (Pacific Time), leaving the 49ers with just under 48 hours to find a replacement for their second-year defensive tackle who was on track to start Week 1.With the team already in Melbourne, Australia the odds of flying in a replacement the way they did with defensive end Khalid Kareem are nil. That means they'll need to turn to their practice squad in Australia where there are a few options for an immediate replacement for Thursday's game with one that stands out:
DL Kevin Givens
Givens should be
the favorite to get the call up from the practice squad. It wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him outright promoted when the team puts Collins on IR. Givens has played in 70 games for the 49ers since joining the club in 2019 as an undrafted rookie. In those 70 games he has 92 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks. Givens isn't a long-term answer for San Francisco, but he's capable of holding down a rotational role right away.
DL Sebastian Valdez
If the 49ers want to take a big swing, Valdez is a second-year undrafted free agent who impressed as a rookie with his strength on the interior. His development has been slow, however, and his lack of improvement in the 2026 season was noticeable. It's hard to imagine the 49ers would turn to Valdez on short notice given that he's never played an NFL regular season snap. He's firmly the second option behind Givens.
DL Vincent Anthony Jr.
San Francisco signed Anthony following final cuts this year. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie and was waived at final cuts. When he cleared waivers he signed with San Francisco. The 6-6, 260-pound defensive lineman has great size, but there's still a long way to go before he's going to make an impact on an NFL roster. In four seasons with the Blue Devils Anthony posted 103 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 15.0 sacks in 49 games.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers have 3 options to replace Alfred Collins after brutal injury
