49ers Bring Back Kevin Givens, Release Malik Turner During Week 8 Bye
The San Francisco 49ers brought a familiar defensive lineman back into the building during their Week 8 bye, signing Kevin Givens to the practice squad on Tuesday, October 27. The corresponding move was the release of wide receiver Malik Turner from the practice squad.
This is not an active-roster promotion, but it restores an experienced interior defender to San Francisco's developmental and game-week depth chart. The timing also matters: the 49ers released Givens on October 24 while making their Week 7 roster adjustments, then re-signed him three days later.
What the 49ers officially announced
San Francisco listed Givens at 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds and confirmed that the 29-year-old has spent all seven of his NFL seasons with the 49ers. Across 71 regular-season games, including 14 starts, he has recorded 95 tackles, eight sacks, three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He has also appeared in nine postseason games.
Givens played one game for San Francisco in 2026 and made two tackles before his October 24 release. The official transaction log now lists him back on the practice squad, while Turner departs after appearing in two games this season.
Why the move matters during the bye
The move gives the 6-1 49ers a veteran interior option who already knows the organization and has extensive experience in its defensive front. Practice-squad status means Givens is not automatically available on the 53-man game-day roster, but he can practice with the team and remains a candidate for a standard elevation or later promotion if the defensive line needs reinforcement.
Because San Francisco is idle in Week 8, there is no immediate game-day decision attached to the signing. The useful checkpoint comes when the team returns to practice ahead of its Week 9 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, November 8. Any elevation would require a separate transaction.
What Malik Turner's release changes
Turner's exit removes one veteran receiver from the practice squad, but it does not directly change the 49ers' active wide receiver depth chart. His two game appearances this season show that the club had used him as emergency depth, so the opening could become relevant if San Francisco adds another receiver after the bye. Until that happens, the move should be read as a practice-squad rebalancing rather than a signal of a new offensive role.
Fantasy football and IDP impact
Givens should not be added in standard fantasy leagues, and he is not a recommended IDP pickup while he remains on the practice squad. Even if elevated, an interior rotation role would need meaningful snap volume and tackle production before creating a dependable weekly floor.
The 49ers team defense remains the more relevant fantasy asset. Givens adds experienced depth, but this transaction alone does not materially change San Francisco's Week 9 projection. Managers should wait for the first post-bye injury report and any game-week elevation before adjusting the defense's outlook.
Turner's release has no immediate standard-league impact. It does not create an active-roster target share, and fantasy managers should not infer a promotion for another receiver without an official corresponding move.
Bottom line
San Francisco used the bye week to restore a known defensive tackle to its practice squad and move on from a veteran receiver. Givens gives the 49ers flexible interior depth without occupying an active-roster spot. The next meaningful development will be whether he is elevated or promoted before the Raiders game; until then, this is a depth move rather than a fantasy waiver signal.
Sources
Information verified October 28, 2026 at 6:15 a.m. CDT against the linked official 49ers sources. This article will be updated if San Francisco promotes or elevates Givens before Week 9.
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