Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Oct 31, 2026 6:51 PM
Indianapolis poaches the longtime interior disrupter directly from San Francisco’s practice squad, backfilling their active roster immediately after sending All-Pro DeForest Buckner back to the Bay Area.
In an ironic twist of midseason NFL transactions, the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts have swapped interior defensive linemen yet again.
Just days after general manager John Lynch pulled off a headline reunion to bring All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to Santa Clara, the Colts announced Friday that they have signed longtime 49ers veteran Kevin Givens directly off San Francisco’s practice squad.
Because Givens was poached from the practice squad, Indianapolis is required to sign him directly to their active 53-man roster and effectively using one former 49er to backfill the roster spot vacated by Buckner.
A Whirlwind Week for the Veteran Lineman
The roster maneuver caps off a chaotic, week-long roller coaster for the 29-year-old defensive tackle:
- Saturday Pre-Week 7: San Francisco initially released Givens as part of standard roster shuffling heading into the Atlanta matchup.
- Post-Buckner Trade: Once the trade for Buckner went through and Givens cleared waivers, the 49ers quickly brought him back onto their practice squad as veteran insurance.
- Friday Poach: Indianapolis, left thin on the interior following Buckner's exit, exercised its right to sign Givens onto its active roster, ending his extended tenure in the Bay Area.
End of an Eight-Year Run in the Bay
Givens’ departure marks the conclusion of an admirable run in Santa Clara. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State in 2019, Givens carved out a steady, reliable career as a rotational interior disrupter in Kyle Shanahan’s front.
Over parts of eight seasons in red and gold, Givens appeared in 71 regular-season contests, compiling 95 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 19 quarterback hits, three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.
His peak stretch in San Francisco came between 2022 and 2024:
- 2022: Stepped up into 11 starts, tallying 20 tackles, two sacks, and a career-high seven tackles for loss.
- 2023: Logged 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks across 17 appearances.
- 2024: Established a career-best mark with 3.5 sacks in just eight games.
After battling injuries that limited him to five games in 2025, Givens was elevated for one appearance in 2026, recording two tackles and a quarterback hit against the Cardinals in Week 3.
The Big Picture for San Francisco
While losing experienced institutional depth is never ideal, the 49ers entered their Week 8 bye sitting comfortably at the top of the defensive tackle depth chart.
With DeForest Buckner joining forces with Osa Odighizuwa, James Thompson Jr., and Sebastian Valdez, San Francisco has radically upgraded its interior pocket collapse. For Givens, heading to Indianapolis offers a guaranteed 53-man paycheck and immediate playing time in a rebuilt Colts front.
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