Two 49ers players likely to start season on IR with return designations

Two San Francisco 49ers players are expected to begin the season on the injured reserve list, but both will likely have return designations, indicating the team's expectation that they will contribute later in the 2024 campaign. NFL teams can designate up to eight players to return from injured reserve this season.

Defensive tackle Kalia Davis recently underwent knee surgery following the 49ers' preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans and is projected to miss about half the season.

"We got to figure all that out, but we plan on Kalia being around here, and we plan on him coming back and helping us this year," head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier this month.

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano is also expected to start the season on injured reserve with a return designation after recently undergoing knee surgery.

"He ended up having to get some type of—I don't know exactly the surgery he got—but he got something done," Shanahan said. "He'll end up probably starting on IR, and hope to have him back towards the middle of the year."

Rookie Dominick Puni is expected to start at right guard after an impressive showing in his first NFL training camp and preseason. Over three preseason games, he allowed only two pressures in 58 pass-blocking snaps.

San Francisco hopes to have Davis and Feliciano back around midseason, just in time for the team's end-of-season push and potential playoff run.

If Davis and Feliciano are placed on the injured reserve list with return designations, the 49ers will have up to six more opportunities to designate additional players for return this season, provided those players are placed on injured reserve after the roster cutdown deadline. NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by 1 p.m. PT.