Getty Kyle Shanahan will have a lot to say about whether 49ers rumors on Sebastian Joseph-Day come to fruition.
There may have been some expected repercussions given the Chargers’ results in the last seven games, which include six losses and one historic 63-21 blowout drubbing. But the dumping of Sebastian Joseph-Day, a team captain and 14-game starter on the defensive line, was labeled a “shock move” by the Chargers’ SB Nation site. And, as is per usual in cases like this, there are 49ers rumors suggesting that San Francisco could scoop him up.
The 49ers are, by coach Kyle Shanahan’s own admission, facing injury concerns on defensive interior, most notably with Arik Armstead, who is dealing with a foot injury and also has a knee problem. He will be out for Monday’s game against the Ravens this week. Javon Hargrave is questionable with a hamstring injury.
Bringing in any new player at this point of the season is not easy, of course, and any new roster move would have to result in another player getting cut. But the 49ers are in Super-Bowl-or-bust mode and can’t allow injuries to get in their way.
Signing Joseph-Day would be an efficient insurance move, especially with the NFC rival Cowboys also likely to be in the mix on him. That’s the thinking at CBS Sports.com, where the 49ers are tabbed as a “landing spot” for Joseph-Day.
Sebastian Joseph-Day Could Have Options
CBS names just three potential suitors for Joseph-Day—the Cowboys and 49ers, as well as the Browns in the AFC. But there could be more, most notably Jacksonville, Kansas City and Buffalo, all playoff teams that need to beef up their defensive fronts. He could also return to his original team, the Rams. Joseph-Day sent his first three NFL seasons with the Rams, and helped them to the Super Bowl championship in 2021, before signing a three-year, $24 million contract with the Chargers.
Should Joseph-Day return to the NFL this season, he’d essentially have to pick between taking a deep ride into the postseason with a team like the 49ers, or getting a chance to play a lot with a team like the Jags or Browns.
Here’s what CBS’s Garrett Podell wrote about the Joseph-Day to the 49ers rumors:
“There may be no team better positioned to win the Super Bowl this season than the 11-3 San Francisco 49ers. Sebastian Joseph-Day is a Super Bowl champion himself, and with starting defensive tackle Javon Hargrave missing the team’s Week 15 game against the Arizona Cardinals with a hamstring strain, he could be a nice depth addition at a critical time in the season for the 49ers front.”
49ers Rumors: Team ‘Concerned’ on Armstead Injury
That ignores the bigger issue with the 49ers, which is Arik Armstead injury. Armstead is battling a foot injury that is similar to the foot problem he had last year, when he missed a game with plantar fasciitis. He was back on the field for the playoffs, though, and played 36, 37 and 54 snaps in the 49ers’ three postseason outings.
Armstead will miss his third straight game on Monday night against the Ravens. He is also dealing with a knee problem, but Kyle Shanahan said the foot was more problematic.
Armstead is an elite interior lineman. At Pro Football Focus, he has earned a grade of 81.9, which is 10th among the 130 qualified defensive linemen in the NFL. Armstead is third on the team in sacks (5.0) and is second with 13 quarterback hits.
He and Hargrave were out against Arizona in Week 15, and the Cardinals responded by trouncing the 49ers’ front with 234 rushing yards. That’s not entirely the fault of the defensive line, but it is a worry.
“Yes, we’re concerned,” Shanahan said on Friday. “We do think he has a chance each week, but I’d say it’s a little more the foot than the knee. Something that’s bothered him for a little bit. I’m just hoping the pain will go down.”
Thus the 49ers rumors around Sebastian Joseph-Day.