The San Francisco 49ers wasted absolutely no time shaking things up on their defensive line, making a roster move the very day training camp blasted open. Defensive lineman Kevin Givens officially re-signed with San Francisco, and they immediately waived DL Evan Anderson in a corresponding move. Talk about getting right down to business!
The Return of a Grinder
This Givens guy has been a fixture for the 49ers since way back in 2019, when he first joined as an undrafted free agent. He was actually unsigned this offseason, just floating out there, until the precise moment camp kicked off and the 49ers decided to bring him home. In his seven seasons with the team, he’s played in 70 games, starting 14 of them. That’s a ton of snaps! He’s stacked up 92 tackles, pulled down 8.0 sacks, and even scooped up two fumble recoveries during his tenure.
The Odd Man Out
To clear space on the 90-man roster for Givens, the 49ers showed Evan Anderson the door. Anderson had signed with the team after the 2024 draft and even played in 12 games as a rookie, with one start, grabbing 24 tackles, 1.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery. But he couldn’t carve out a consistent role in 2025 and ended up spending that whole season on the practice squad. It’s a tough league, man.
So, as camp gets into full swing, the 49ers are clearly going with the familiar veteran presence over a younger project for their defensive line. It’s a move that tells you exactly where their focus is for the season ahead: getting those proven guys on the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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