The other 49ers starting defensive tackle from Super Bowl LIV the Colts added this offseason, Sheldon Day will miss time to start the season.
Day, who came to Indianapolis after the Colts’ DeForest Buckner game, underwent a knee surgery this offseason and will begin the 2020 campaign on IR. However, he will not have to miss the customary eight games required for IR-return players.
Teams can activate players off IR after three weeks this year, thanks to the COVID-19-related rule adjustments for this season. There is no limit to how many players can return from IR. The new CBA will allow for three in future years, assuming the NFL nixes the pandemic-induced rule changes in 2021, but this year the league will permit maximum roster flexibility to aid teams in this unusual landscape.
Day started each of the 49ers’ three playoff games last year but mostly worked in a reserve capacity in San Francisco. The former fourth-round pick will join Kemoko Turay as Colt D-linemen unavailable to start the season. Turay will begin the year on the Colts’ reserve/PUP list, which still requires a six-game absence.
The Colts signed tackle Chaz Green to take Day’s roster spot. They also added 14 players to their practice squad Sunday. Longtime Steelers tight end Xavier Grimble agreed to join the Colts’ P-squad, after the team made him one of its Saturday cuts.
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