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Why this player could be returning to the 49ers at the perfect time

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers cannot go a day without getting bad injury news. That is why it is such a big deal to finally hear something good. The team has opened the window for Kevin Givens to return to game action, and the move could not come any sooner.

San Francisco 49ers need Kevin Givens to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Givens sustained a pec injury that sidelined him through the first five weeks. He was expected to miss another week or two, but he may be coming back because of the depth concerns that the 49ers have.

Kalia Davis broke his hand in the win over the Los Angeles Rams. He can play with a club in his hand, but it is more likely than not that he misses a game or two before he is back to action. CJ West has been dealing with a thumb injury, and the rookie has been relatively ineffective. Alfred Collins has started to progress, but he has yet to see a significant load of snaps. Then, there is Jordan Elliott, who is slightly below average, but somehow is the most stable interior lineman.

The 49ers claimed Jordan Jefferson off waivers because they were so thin at this position. Then, they had to release Jefferson because they had so many injuries at other spots. Of course, once they released Jefferson, it was Davis who got hurt.

Givens has never been the most impactful player, but he has been with the team since 2019. He knows the defense well, and in 2024, he posted a career-high 3.5 sacks, and that was only playing in half of the season.

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He was fully recovered from his 2024 injury and was expected to be an important part of the roster before his injury occurred. Without him, the 49ers had to ask both of their rookies and Davis to step into bigger roles than expected.

If they can get Givens active this week, he will likely start next to Elliott, with Collins continuing to slowly increase his role and West remaining a rotational player. If they cannot, they will likely be calling up Evan Anderson from the practice squad.

This will be worth keeping an eye on because the Buccaneers' offense has been flying on all cylinders. They need to have as many healthy bodies up front as to hang in what could be a shootout. The practice reports will be worth watching this week, but that is always the case in San Francisco.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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