49ers place DT Alfred Collins on IR, elevate Hodge and Okoronkwo for Rams opener
The 49ers made Alfred Collins' season-ending injury official Thursday, placing the second-year defensive tackle on injured reserve and elevating two practice-squad players for their opener against the Rams in Melbourne. The des…
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The 49ers made Alfred Collins' season-ending injury official Thursday, placing the second-year defensive tackle on injured reserve and elevating two practice-squad players for their opener against the Rams in Melbourne.
Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch): #49ers have activated WR KhaDarel Hodge and DE Ogbo Okoronkwo from the practice squad and placed DT Alfred Collins (knee) on IR.
The designation was the formality that followed a torn patellar tendon, suffered during practice in Australia this week. It ends Collins' 2026 season before it began and removes a rotation piece from the interior of a defensive front that was already working short.
San Francisco filled the game-day spot by elevating receiver KhaDarel Hodge and defensive lineman Ogbo Okoronkwo, making both eligible for Thursday's game. Both players entered the league with the Rams in 2018, so the opener doubles as a meeting with their original club.
The front had taken hits before this. Edge rusher Sam Okuayinonu is on injured reserve until at least Week 5 after foot surgery, which prompted the team to sign journeyman Khalid Kareem, and Collins' absence now thins the tackle room on a short week.
San Francisco and Los Angeles open the NFL's international slate in Melbourne, leaving the 49ers to cover Collins' snaps with the practice-squad call-ups while the club waits on the rest of its defensive line to get healthy.