49ers Have Placed A Defensive End on Injured Reserve

On Wednesday night, prior to their preseason game on Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers made a roster move. They signed Jah Joyner, a defensive end who played in the United Football League (UFL) earlier this year and had suited up for the Raiders during last summer’s preseason.

They also made a corresponding move by placing another defensive end on the injured list.

Victor Dimukeje, a player the Niners signed earlier this month, has been placed on injured reserve, per NBC Sports.

Who is Victor Dimukeje?

Dimukeje was a sixth-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He was born in Lagos and moved to Baltimore when he was eight years old, and he ended up playing college football at Duke University.

He was with the Blue Devils for four seasons and totaled 167 tackles (79 solo), 37 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks and three passes defended. His best season came as a senior when he had 44 tackles (23 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

In the NFL, Dimukeje has played the majority of his snaps as a member of special teams. He spent four years with the Cardinals, and he was with the New York Giants last year.

His best pro season thus far was in 2023, when he registered 32 total tackles (21 solo), eight quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and four sacks.

Last year, Dimukeje played in just five games with the Giants and had three tackles (one solo) and one pass defended.

Joyner, meanwhile, had a nice showing in the spring with the Houston Gamblers in the UFL. He got strong grades from Pro Football Focus for his stint there — for the season, he received a 76.7 run defense grade, a 45.4 tackling grade, a 76.6 pressure grade and an 85.1 overall defense grade.

He is 6-foot-4 and about 260 pounds and possesses ample speed and athleticism. He had played five seasons at the University of Minnesota before going undrafted in 2025.