SANTA CLARA – Defensive tackle Kalia Davis played 30 snaps in the 49ers’ opening game of the 2024 NFL preseason and was on his way to securing a spot on the roster.

But the morning after San Francisco’s loss at Tennessee, it was discovered that he had suffered structural damage behind his kneecap.

Davis is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.

The 49ers will likely add Davis to the initial 53-man roster and then place him on the injured list. This move would allow Davis to rejoin the team later in the season. Shanahan estimates Davis will miss about half of the regular season.

“I thought it was one of his best games,” Shanahan said of Davis. “It was a real shame. He played fantastic the whole game, so he and we were really surprised that he sustained such a serious injury.”

“It’s a setback, but he had such a good training camp, such a good game, he’s in a good position to bounce back.”

Davis recorded the 49ers’ only sack in their 17-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday. He had two tackles for loss in the game.

Davis was a native of Central Florida and was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In his final season there, he tore his ACL.

He did not play as a rookie. Davis suffered from a sprained ankle last year and only played in three games.

In other 49ers injury news, cornerback Ambry Thomas is scheduled to undergo surgery on his broken right forearm on Tuesday.

Thomas is also expected to miss half of the season. The 49ers will likely create a roster spot by placing him on the injured list or releasing him due to injury.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast