The San Francisco 49ers have been defined by their injuries over the past two seasons, and early on in training camp, those woes have continued to plague the team. It’s still only August, but the number of players who are currently out of action for the 49ers during their practices is already relatively concerning.
Of course, the Niners aren’t the only team that deals with these injury issues, as that is the nature of the game of football. One of the team’s old friends, offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson, has dealt with his fair share of injuries over the past year or so, but ahead of the 2026 campaign, he made a big announcement regarding his status for the season.
Laken Tomlinson Gets Clean Bill of Health Before 2026 Campaign
Tomlinson was selected with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, but after two seasons with the team, he got traded to the 49ers. Tomlinson would spend the next five years with San Francisco, earning the only Pro Bowl selection of his career in 2021, which was his final campaign with the team.
Since leaving the Niners, Tomlinson has spent two years with the New York Jets, before spending a season apiece with the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans. While he’s remained consistent, he’s struggled to hit the same heights he reached during his time with San Fran. For the first time in his career, though, he struggled with injuries in 2025 while with the Texans.
While with Houston, Tomlinson suited up for just 10 games (seven starts) and was forced to undergo some work to clean up a bone spur in his heel over the offseason. Tomlinson has remained a free agent throughout the offseason, but he has been given a clean bill of health, and he is looking to join a new team now that training camp is underway.
“Former 49ers LG Laken Tomlinson, their starter there for 5 seasons, had a bone spur in his left heel cleaned up this offseason,” David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard shared in a post on X. “Tomlinson said he’s feeling the best he has in a while and has been training hard — ready for teams who may need a vet guard.”
Could the 49ers Reunite With Laken Tomlinson?
GettyFormer 49ers offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson has shared some big injury news
Tomlinson is still a reliable plug-and-play option at left tackle, even as he approaches the end of his career. Sure, his production last season wasn’t great, but he wasn’t 100% healthy, even when he was on the field. He may not necessarily be used as a starter, but at the very least, Tomlinson can still provide depth along the interior offensive line for a playoff-caliber team.
Ironically enough, the one spot where San Francisco is actually pretty healthy right now is the offensive line, so there isn’t a real need for Tomlinson right now. That could change in the blink of an eye, though, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Tomlinson latch on with a new team in the coming days now that he has gotten the green light to return to the field.
Former 49ers Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman Makes Injury Announcement