The San Francisco 49ers have turned to a familiar kind of midseason fix, signing veteran defensive tackle Naquan Jones off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad and adding him to the active roster.
The move, first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Wednesday, arrives as San Francisco’s interior defensive line continues to thin out under a wave of injuries.
Jones, 28, is a 6-foot-3, 313-pound nose tackle who has spent six seasons bouncing among several clubs since going undrafted out of Michigan State in 2021.
He originally signed with the Tennessee Titans, made the active roster after a practice-squad stint, and later returned as an exclusive-rights free agent before being waived in November 2023. Stops with the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans followed.
The Texans re-signed him for 2026, then released him in August. Minnesota claimed him for its practice squad on September 1.
Last season he appeared in 12 games between the Chargers and Texans, finishing with 13 tackles and one pass deflection. Over his career he has played 60 games and accumulated 102 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
He is not a featured pass rusher; his value is as a run-stuffer who can occupy blockers and give linebackers cleaner lanes.
That profile fits San Francisco’s immediate need. Alfred Collins is already lost for the season with a torn patellar tendon. Rookie James Thompson Jr. is expected to miss several weeks with a high-ankle sprain.
On Wednesday the club also placed second-year tackle C.J. West on injured reserve after he required surgery for a bone chip in his knee.
Those absences leave Osa Odighizuwa and rookie Gracen Halton as the primary healthy interior options. Jones gives the staff another veteran body while the injured players recover.
The 49ers are 2-0, but their run defense has been less reliable in close games, and coach Kyle Shanahan has acknowledged that the front needs reinforcement.
Jones is a short-term depth piece rather than a long-term starter, yet he arrives with enough experience to play immediately. Minnesota, meanwhile, loses a practice-squad interior lineman it had added only three weeks earlier.
For a player who has already worn six different uniforms, the latest stop is another chance to stay in the league. For San Francisco, it is a practical response to a position group that keeps shrinking.
How much Jones plays will depend on how quickly the injured tackles return and whether the 49ers later pursue a more prominent addition. For now, he fills a hole the roster could no longer ignore.
