A pectoral injury will leave Kevin Givens sidelined for the foreseeable future. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the veteran defensive tackle will miss “a chunk” of the 2025 season. 
Givens entered the league with low expectations as an undrafted free agent, but he has managed to carve out a noteworthy NFL career. Each of his six seasons to date have come with San Francisco, and in 2022 he logged 11 starts and a career-high snap share of 44%. More commonly, though, the 28-year-old has occupied a rotational role along the defensive front.
That was set to remain the case in 2025, but Givens is now facing a lengthy recovery period. An injured reserve-designated for return placement during roster cutdowns would allow for an activation at some point during the regular season, but it would also require at least a four-game absence to begin the campaign. With a lengthy rehab process apparently in store, the 49ers will move forward with a DT group which lost Javon Hargrave via release this spring and added Alfred Collins during the second round of the draft.
In other injury news, Shanahan said running back Isaac Guerendo is week-to-week with a shoulder injury. A large role could be in store for the 2024 fourth-rounder backing up Christian McCaffrey this year, provided he can stay healthy of course. Guerendo has time to recover in advance of Week 1, but his status will be worth watching. Likewise, defensive end Sam Okuayinonu is facing a multi-week absence, per Shanahan.
As a result of the injury-induced absences the 49ers are currently dealing with at several positions, a slew of moves were made earlier today. That included the release of kicker Greg Joseph. Jake Moody is the only kicker in place at the moment, but Shanahan noted (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area) the decision to cut Joseph was based on other roster constraints rather than a poor showing on the veteran’s part. As such, Moody is not necessarily assured of the kicking gig pending how he performs during the remainder of the summer. The kicker position could still be one to watch as San Francisco balances a number of injury situations.