The San Francisco 49ers are adding veteran help on the offensive line as their roster becomes 1 of the NFL’s biggest talking points due to ongoing, rampant injury issues.
According to multiple reports, the 49ers signed 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle Kion Smith on Thursday.
“49ers sign Kion Smith to one-year deal, waive Colton Dowell,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Thursday.
Smith has been with the Miami Dolphins since 2021. He made his 1st 2 career starts in 2025, when he played in a career-high 14 games.
The 49ers were only 7 practices into the season headed into Thursday.
“By the end of Wednesday’s practice, the Niners had 20 players (including the 3 on PUP) not participating because of injury,” ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote on X on Wednesday. “In 2024, they had 23 not practicing when they canceled joint practices with the Saints. Chris Foerster says that’s not something that’s come up to him with the Titans for next week, though it could have been discussed elsewhere in the building. Don’t think the Niners are super concerned that the injuries they have (aside from Ricky Pearsall) are long term but they still need to have enough healthy bodies to handle the rigors of joint practices.”
“Even I’m surprised at this point,” the Electrical Substation parody wrote on its official X account after the latest round of injuries were announced.
The full list of 49ers out by the end of Wednesday’s practice, per Wagoner:
- DE Nick Bosa (soreness)
- LB Dre Greenlaw (soreness)
- DT Osa Odighizuwa (soreness)
- OL Carver Willis (concussion)
- WR Jacob Cowing (hip flexor strain)
- FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger)
- OL Brett Toth (undisclosed)
- OL Nick Zakelj (left practice)
- DE Sam Okuayinonu (left practice)
- WR Christian Kirk (calf)
- WR Mike Evans (quad)
- S Malik Mustapha (hamstring)
- WR De’Zhaun Stribling (hamstring)
- RB Kaelon Black (adductor)
- RB Jordan James (rib)
- DL Keion White (adductor)
- OT Vederian Lowe (ankle)
- TE George Kittle (achilles)
- RB Isaac Guerendo (pec)
- DL Mykel Williams (ACL)
From NCAA Division II to NFL Career
Smith seemed headed toward becoming a possible draft pick in 2021 but saw his final season at NCAA Division II Fayetteville State canceled because of the pandemic.
The Dolphins kept Smith parked on the practice squad for 2 seasons before he finally played in a regular-season game in 2023. He was on track to make the 53-man roster in 2024 before he tore his ACL in training camp and missed the entire season.
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