The San Francisco 49ers have officially placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Injured Reserve after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 against the Kansa City Chiefs.
In a corresponding move, the 49ers promoted undrafted rookie defensive tackle Evan Anderson to the active roster from the practice squad.
Anderson has performed well in limited action this season. He debuted as a pro in Week 4 against the New England Patriots and came up with a strip sack against quarterback Jacoby Brissett. He played 19 total snaps in that game. Anderson was also elevated for the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup with the Seahawks and posted a pair of tackles in 13 total snaps.
Football analytics site Pro Football Focus has given him a sterling 91.8 overall grade through his first couple of games. He’s graded out particularly strong as a pass rusher, where PFF has awarded him a 92.3 overall grade.
If he can help improve their pass rush by pushing the pocket from the interior, it would go a long way toward filling the void left by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave who suffered a season-ending injury back in Week 3.
There’s no surprise Aiyuk was placed on IR. It was a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if’ he was placed there after suffering a torn ACL and MCL. By putting him on IR on Wednesday it cleared a roster spot for Anderson, and cleared a practice squad spot, giving San Francisco two open spots on their practice roster.
They filled those two spots with offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen and wide receiver Malik Turner.
Turner spent time with the 49ers in the last couple of offseasons. They may need his experience, particularly on special teams, while they deal with a rash of injuries at wide receiver.
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