Indianapolis Colts Acquire Former 49ers Defender on Friday

The Indianapolis Colts added defensive tackle Kevin Givens to their active roster on Friday, elevating the veteran from the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, the team announced.

The move comes days after the Colts traded longtime interior lineman DeForest Buckner back to San Francisco, creating an immediate need for experienced depth along the defensive line as the team prepares for its Week 8 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Givens, 29, has spent his entire professional career with the 49ers after joining the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State in 2019.

He made his NFL debut late in his rookie season following a practice-squad elevation and has remained a reliable rotational piece in the years since.

After re-signing as an exclusive-rights free agent in 2022, he returned to San Francisco on successive one-year contracts, carving out a role primarily as a pass-rushing interior lineman.

Across eight seasons in the Bay Area, Givens has appeared in 71 regular-season games with 14 starts.

He has recorded 95 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

Givens has also contributed in the postseason, appearing in nine playoff contests and adding 12 tackles along with half a sack. His most productive stretches came in 2022 and 2023, when he consistently generated pressure from the interior.

This season, Givens spent the majority of his time on the 49ers’ practice squad after the preseason.

He was elevated once, appearing in a single game and registering two tackles.

At 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds, he brings a compact frame and proven ability to collapse the pocket, traits that should translate well to Indianapolis’s defensive scheme.

For the Colts, the signing offers a low-risk way to reinforce the interior without committing significant resources or draft capital.

With Buckner now back in San Francisco, Givens provides a familiar face from the 49ers’ system who can step into a rotational role immediately.

While he is not expected to replicate Buckner’s production, his experience and versatility give the Colts another option against both the run and the pass as they navigate the remainder of the season.

The transaction underscores the fluid nature of roster management this late in the year, particularly for teams seeking depth ahead of a critical stretch of games.