While the San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with several injuries on their defensive line, there’s a world in which things are much worse.
Had they never gotten rid of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, his Achilles tear that was just suffered with the Green Bay Packers would have thrown another wrench into the Niners' front four.
San Francisco signed Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal ahead of the 2023 season. He had a solid 2023 campaign and had seven sacks on the year, as he helped the Niners make it to the Super Bowl. Then in 2024, he tore his triceps early in the season, which effectively ended his time in San Francisco.
The 49ers released him after the season, and he went on to the Minnesota Vikings where he had a decent year, recording 3.5 sacks in 16 games. The Packers decided to roll the dice on him ahead of the 2026 season, signing him to a two-year $23 million deal.
That deal does not look all that great now after Hargrave didn’t do much in his four games with Green Bay before suffering the Achilles tear.
49ers finally seem vindicated for letting Javon Hargrave go
Obviously, one hopes Hargrave makes a full recovery and comes back next season, but the 49ers know they dodged a bullet by moving on from him when they did. Even though it was an easy decision to move on after the 2024 season, there’s a world in which they are still paying him a lot of money and are also out yet another defensive tackle.
As things stand, it’s already bad enough for the Niners on the D-line. Alfred Collins is done for the season, Nick Bosa has been out and so has Sam Okuayinonu. Thankfully, rookie Gracen Halton has stepped up in the interior, and Osa Odighizuwa, acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason, has been solid.
That’s a much better situation than the Packers (and frankly, the Cowboys) currently find themselves in, so the Niners should feel pretty smart. Of course, if there’s any more attrition on the D-line, then that feeling will go away pretty quickly.
Of course, there’s a chance general manager John Lynch will go out and bolster the defensive line ahead of the trade deadline. A DeForest Buckner reunion would be fun, and a blockbuster Jeffrey Simmons trade would be wild, but even more modest additions would give San Francisco some much-needed depth.
It's unfortunate for the Packers that Hargrave is done for the year, but the 49ers have had enough carnage already this season, so the last thing they needed was another major injury.
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