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San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Kalia Davis’ ankle injury on Sunday could lead to free agent Ndamukong Suh coming aboard.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged as such after he announced that Davis “is going to be out for a few weeks” due to the high ankle sprain. Suh, had interest in the 49ers last year before he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and reached his third Super Bowl.
“Not yet. I’m not ruling out anything,” Shanahan told reporters on Monday. “We have guys on our practice squad as you guys see that we used last week. But, that stuff we also aren’t exactly sure when [Javon] Hargrave and [Arik] Armstead are coming back.”
Hargrave (hamstring) and Armstead (foot) remain questionable after they both missed the 45-29 blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals. Thought not a starter, Davis’ absence only makes things tougher for the 49ers’ defensive line.
“We do know they have chances this week,” Shanahan said about Hargrave and Armstead. “So, there’s a lot of variables that are playing together that we’ll be discussing here the rest of the day, tomorrow. Even if we don’t make a move in any area, that’ll probably be continuing throughout the year.”
Niners backup defensive tackles Kevin Givens and Javon Kinlaw did some positive things against the Cardinals. Givens tallied four tackles, and Kinlaw made a sack and a tackle.
Ndamukong Suh Could Fill Immediate Need
Suh meanwhile has been a free agent all season, similar to his plan last year. He didn’t sign with the Eagles until November 2022 and opted to walk in free agency after a one-year, $2 million deal.
If the 49ers brought in Suh, he would have immediately familiarity with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, the Athletic’s Matt Barrows pointed out. Kocurek and Suh worked together with the Detroit Lions from 2010 to 2014 when Suh emerged as one of the league’s fiercest, young defensive lineman.
Suh’s career only grew from there amid five Pro Bowl appearances, three All-Pro honors, and a Super Bowl win. He has 71.5 career sacks, five forced fumbles, and 392 solo tackles in 199 career games.
If the Niners do land Suh, it could come at the most ironic of times. Suh had a conversation with the 49ers’ next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, about a return back in October.
Niners Need Help Up Front Before Ravens Game
San Francisco will need extra reinforcement up front against the Ravens, led by dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens match the 49ers’ league-best 11-3 record on “Sunday Night Football” with a 24-7 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars for Week 15.
“You always know what you’re going to get from their team,” Shanahan said about the Ravens. “We haven’t played them in a little bit, but I know that hasn’t changed.”
“You always see them on tape, you always see their numbers and they still have the same quarterback who will always be as big of an issue as there is,” Shanahan added. “I know it’s a number of years later and there’s a bunch of different guys out there, but the style’s going to be, to me, extremely similar.”
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