The San Francisco 49ers officially signed offensive guard Kion Smith, a former opening-day starter for the Miami Dolphins. This move comes as their personnel department grapples with an absolutely wild 20 players currently on the injured list. Seriously, twenty injured players is an insane number for any team, forcing the 49ers to scramble for healthy bodies early in the season.
Niners Facing an Injury Nightmare Up Front
It’s no secret the 49ers are slammed with injuries right now, especially on the offensive line. This week alone, offensive linemen Brett Toth picked up an undisclosed injury, and Carver Willis entered concussion protocol. That’s on top of the already massive injury report. To make room for Smith, they also waived receiver Colton Dowell. Earlier, they had already officially terminated two vested veterans, Cam Sample and Kevin Givens, who were both injured and waived. This many players down means they’re digging deep into the free agent pool just to fill out the roster ahead of practice.
Who Is Kion Smith and What About the Others?
So, who exactly is Kion Smith, the guy they finally landed? He’s been in the NFL since 2021, racking up 201 total snaps, with a solid 137 of those coming just last year with Miami. He’s a big dude at 6’6″, 300 pounds, and get this: he was the Dolphins’ opening-day right guard starter in 2025. He reportedly looked good for those first two games, but then struggled big-time in the third game against the Bills, posting a high blown block rate.
Before settling on Smith, the Niners worked out a bunch of other guys, too. They checked out Braden Daniels, a 2023 draft pick who spent his rookie year on IR with a torn rotator cuff and has never played a regular-season snap. Ryan Mosesso, a starting right tackle from Massachusetts with college experience at guard and left tackle, was also in the mix. They even brought in receivers Kristian Wilkerson, who has six career receptions across four seasons, and Donovan Peoples-Jones, who everyone likely knows from his 839-yard season in 2022 with the Browns. Peoples-Jones has some talent, but his issues with drops, a lack of separation, and apparently not knowing the playbook were always a problem for him in Cleveland.
With Smith officially in the building, the 49ers are clearly trying to patch up their O-line crisis as quickly as possible. This move highlights how deep the injury bug has bitten them early in the season. We’ll be watching to see how Smith fits in and if this roster shuffle actually helps them navigate this early-season injury nightmare. It’s a rough start, but they’re making moves.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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