Drew Lock (2) of the Seattle Seahawks throws a pass while pressured by Kalia Davis (93) of the San Francisco 49ers - Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
More injury news coming from the San Francisco 49ers as defensive tackle, Kalia Davis is set to miss half of the 2024 regular season. Following the first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, it was revealed Davis will need knee surgery. The recovery should not be long, but he will miss an extended amount of time this year. Here are more details on the injury and how this will affect the San Francisco 49ers in 2024.
Kalia Davis Missing Half of the Season
The news regarding the defensive tackle’s position was released on Monday, August 12th. The 49ers returned to California for practice and the news of the injury was released by head coach Kyle Shanahan. This injury update comes just two days following the first preseason game of the year against the Titans.
The 49ers did not play many starters, which gave players like Davis a chance to shine. Davis showed a strong performance against the Titans and hype for the defensive tackle this season grew. Losing Davis is tough even if he is not a projected starter. Against the Titans, Davis had one sack and two tackles for loss, according to ESPN. Despite not being a starter, Davis was expected to make the 53-man roster with playing time.
According to David Lombardi on X, head coach Kyle Shanahan described the injury as “some stuff behind his kneecap.” This injury requires surgery, which will keep him out for about half of the 2024 season. Assuming the recovery from surgery goes well, expect Davis to return later in the season and help with the final stretch of games. Shanahan expects him to return about halfway through the 2024 year.
Kalia Davis’ Impact on the Field
Davis may not be one of the defensive stars of the San Francisco 49ers, but he was set to be a key player as a depth piece. The defensive line does go through a rotation to give starters rest. He can come into games and make an impact. In 2022, the 49ers struggled on the interior of the defensive line. Teams did well with their run game, and the 49ers defense could have been better. Davis’ growth this year, plus the starters on the line, was set to help this issue.
Davis has been with the 49ers for two years, this year is his third. The defensive tackle was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft with the 220th overall pick. He is one of those players to be a healthy scratch but played in three games in 2023. In those three games, he has had one sack and one quarterback hit, according to Pro Football reference.
Based on his strong training camp performance and his preseason showing, Davis’ role on the team was likely to grow. Davis was not too high on the first unofficial depth chart, but he was expected to play in more games this year. With the current NFL rules, teams can elevate two players from the Injured Reserve list that were placed on it ahead of the cutdown.
Timetable for Return
There is no exact timetable for Davis’ return. About half the season out is all that is known. More should be known following the knee surgery.
The San Francisco 49ers’ bye week will be in week nine, which is about halfway. The 49ers, depending on how Davis is healing, would likely wait until after the bye week for him to return to games. Of course, if he is progressing well there is a chance for him to return in week eight against the Dallas Cowboys. Realistically expect Davis to return in week ten against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers or in week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks.
As the season progresses, players get banged up. It is part of the game. Returning healthy for the second half of the season can be a needed boost. The most important thing for now is that Davis’ surgery goes well and he heals up.
