Alfred Collins’ Season‑Ending Injury Adds to 49ers’ Defensive Line Woes

Even a trip half a world away couldn’t spare the San Francisco 49ers from more bad news. During a routine practice at AAMI Park in Melbourne, second‑year defensive tackle Alfred Collins snapped his patellar tendon, an injury that will keep him out for the entire 2026 season.

Coach Kyle Shanahan delivered the news with a heavy sigh on the team’s video call, saying, “Hurting for Alfred… it happened right before we started scrimmaging. It’s a big loss for us.” Collins, a 43rd‑overall pick from Texas, had already become a key run‑stopper in his rookie year, and now his absence leaves a gaping hole on the line.

This isn’t the first defensive lineman the 49ers have lost before the season opener. Earlier in camp, Sam Okuayinonu broke his foot, and the team had to bring in Khalid Kareem from the Falcons’ practice squad just to fill depth. Meanwhile, Mykel Williams is on the PUP list at least through Week 5, Nick Bosa is still rehabbing the ACL tear from last September, and Keion White is recovering from a foot gunshot wound he suffered back in February.

With Collins out, Shanahan and GM John Lynch will likely have to promote from within. Young prospects like C.J. West, fourth‑rounder Gracen Halton and undrafted rookie James Thompson Jr. are expected to see expanded roles alongside Osa Odighizuwa. The coaches may also look to practice‑squad players Kevin Givens or Sebastian Valdez to see if they can hold the fort.

It’s a brutal reminder of how fragile an NFL roster can be. The 49ers have already said goodbye to third‑year receiver Ricky Pearsall, who required surgery on his right knee, and now they’re down another high‑draft pick on the defensive front. The team will have to lean on its remaining veterans and hope the younger guys can rise to the occasion when the season finally begins.