The 49ers announced today that they’ve placed starting center Daniel Kilgore on injured reserve with a knee injury and promoted offensive lineman Alex Balducci from the practice squad.
[RELATED: 49ers Place Vance McDonald On IR]
Kilgore, who turns 29 years old this week, had been in the midst of his first season as a full-time starter along the San Francisco offensive line, and though he’d played more than 90% of the club’s offensive snaps, he hadn’t been all that effective, grading as just the league’s No. 30 center, according to Pro Football Focus. Under the terms of extension signed in 2014, Kilgore is signed through the 2017 season, and is set to count for just over $1.5MM on the Niners’ cap next year.
Balducci, meanwhile, will join Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner as fellow Oregon defensive linemen (that’s right, defensive linemen) on the San Francisco roster under former Ducks head coach Chip Kelly. After playing on the defensive side of the ball during his collegiate days, who has been transitioning to offense while on the Niners’ practice squad this year, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details.