The San Francisco 49ers have officially placed defensive lineman Kentavius Street on injured reserve and announced the re-signing of defensive back Antone Exum to a one-year deal. The team's intention of bringing back Exum was first reported by Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
Street joins tackle Shon Coleman (fibula, ankle, August 12), rookie cornerback Tim Harris (groin, August 26), and running back Jerick McKinnon (knee, August 31) on the 49ers' injured reserve list.
Street made the 49ers' initial 53-player roster so he is eligible to return to the active roster later this season. If healthy, Street will be able to practice after Week 6 and can be activated after Week 8.
The 49ers made Street a fourth-round draft pick out of NC State last year despite the defensive lineman coming off of an ACL injury. He did not play in 2018.
Street was attempting to return this offseason when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan informed reporters on August 27 that the defensive lineman would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee, likely ending his season.
"Kentavius, he's battled through his knee all year," Shanahan said. "He's had some knee tendinitis throughout camp and stuff. A little similar to Dee Ford but he's been trying to battle through it and get a spot here.
"We decided yesterday (Monday, August 26) that he can't do it anymore. We're going to get his knee scoped here on Friday (August 30), so we'll decide what to do after that. But he's going to have to get his knee scoped here Friday, which will be a setback for him, but it does not mean that he's still not going to be a part of us."
While a final decision hadn't been made at the time, Shanahan felt that season-ending injured reserve was "the most likely" scenario for Street. The team opted to wait until after the August 31 deadline to place the defender on injured reserve and leave open the option of returning.
"Obviously, Kentavius Street takes a spot on our roster so we can have him eligible to return," general manager John Lynch said via a conference call on Saturday.
The Minnesota Vikings made Exum a sixth-round selection out of Virginia Tech in 2014. San Francisco initially signed him on November 7, 2017, and the defensive back was part of the 49ers' roster cuts on the way to the required 53-player limit.
Exum recorded a career-high 40 combined tackles, a sack, seven passes defense, an interception, a touchdown, and a forced fumble through 15 games with seven starts with the 49ers last season.
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