Alfred Collins out for the season in another brutal 49ers injury blow

Even a trip across the Pacific Ocean to an entirely different continent wasn’t enough for the San Francisco 49ers to escape their brutal injury misfortune.

Defensive tackle Alfred Collins became the third presumptive starter the 49ers have lost before the season has even kicked off — and the second on the already shaky defensive line.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the second-year former second-round pick and one of San Francisco’s primary run stuffers will miss the entire season. He tore his patellar tendon at the 49ers’ practice in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday (Tuesday evening Pacific time).

“Hurting for Alfred,” Shanahan said. “It happened yesterday during a period right before we started going against each other. It was real unfortunate for him. …

“So, that was a big loss. We’ve lost two D-Linemen pretty much for the year after cuts before the first game, which has been a huge challenge.”

The 49ers were already forced to fly in another defensive lineman — Khalid Kareem — who was signed off the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad. Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu, who started 12 games last season, broke his foot in their final practice session before departing.

San Francisco is also without defensive end Mykel Williams, out until at least Week 5 on PUP, and plans to start Nick Bosa, who hasn’t played since tearing his ACL last September. Keion White, who could start on the opposite side, was shot in the foot in February.

The second serious injury to their defensive line could prompt Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to look for outside help, but it’s unlikely they would be able to make it to the Melbourne Cricket Ground — some 16 hours away from San Francisco — in time for kickoff against the Rams on Thursday night (Friday morning in Australia).

Without Collins, the 49ers will need fellow second-year zero-technique C.J. West, fourth-rounder Gracen Halton and undrafted rookie James Thompson Jr. to step up next to Osa Odighizuwa. Halton only recently returned to practice from an ankle injury, and Thompson was the only Niner to sit out Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring injury before Collins went down.

They will likely elevate at least one of their two defensive tackles on their practice squad: Kevin Givens or Sebastian Valdez.

After routinely missing 20 or more players throughout training camp, the 49ers’ health had been trending in the right direction, with Bosa and tight end George Kittle both expected to suit up against the Rams. But the positives could only last so long for one of the NFL’s most-injured teams.

In addition to the two defensive linemen, the 49ers lost third-year receiver Ricky Pearsall for the season earlier in training camp, when he had surgery to repair the PCL in his right knee.

Between Pearsall, Williams and now Collins, the 49ers’ past two first-round picks as well as their second selection in the 2025 draft will all miss extended periods of time.

Collins, drafted 43rd overall out of Texas, played 16 games as a rookie but had major surgery on his shoulder over the offseason that put him behind schedule when training camp opened.