The San Francisco 49ers on Monday were busy ahead of their Week 17 showdown with the Detroit Lions.
In an expected move, they placed offensive lineman Aaron Banks on IR. Banks is dealing with an MCL injury he suffered in Week 16. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the starting left guard would miss the final two regular season games. His placement on IR officially ends his season.
Banks, a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, is set to hit free agency in the offseason.
To replace Banks on the roster, the 49ers activated rookie linebacker Tatum Bethune off IR. Bethune had his practice window opened ahead of Week 17 and he was officially listed as ‘questionable’ after undergoing three full practice sessions. All indications point toward the seventh-round pick making his first appearance since Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Bethune in his rookie season has primarily contributed on special teams, playing 130 special teams snaps and only eight defensive snaps. He has two tackles and one fumble recovery in nine games.
The 49ers also announced they claimed cornerback Tre Avery off waivers from the Tennessee Titans. Avery was an undrafted rookie for Tennessee after the 2022 draft. He played in 38 games with five starts across his two-plus seasons in Tennessee. Avery has 54 tackles, 11 pass breakups and one fumble recovery in his career. The Titans waived Avery leading up to their Week 17 game. He’ll provide special teams depth with some players roles changing while CB Charvarius Ward is absent for a personal matter.
San Francisco elevated defensive lineman Alex Barrett from the practice squad for the second time this season. He adds depth with defensive end Robert Beal out because of an ankle injury. Undrafted rookie offensive lineman Drake Nugent is also up from the practice squad in what will be his regular season debut.
