49ers · Player

Luke Gifford

Luke Gifford
Position
LB
Number
#51
Age
31
Pieces here
31

On the record

Called Shots →
OpenOct 13, 2026

Washington's offense scores two or fewer touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 19, 2026, counting rushing and passing touchdowns in the Scoring Plays table of the official NFL game book and excluding any touchdown scored by Washington's defense or special teams on a return. CORRECT if the count is 0, 1 or 2. WRONG if it is 3 or more. A two-point conversion is not a touchdown and does not count.

Written about him

Six 49ers are out at Atlanta, and Shanahan may dress fewer than 48
49ers Notebook

Six 49ers are out at Atlanta, and Shanahan may dress fewer than 48

The 49ers ruled out Nick Bosa, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Luke Gifford, Marques Sigle and Garret Wallow for Sunday at Atlanta. Christian Kirk, Siran Neal and Upton Stout are questionable; Kyle Shanahan called Kirk's tag procedural. The club released defensive lineman Ogbo Okoronkwo on Friday, opening a spot on the 53. Shanahan said the team may go into the game with fewer than the maximum 48 active, with quarterback Kurtis Rourke and possibly lineman Enrique Cruz Jr. the last two available, something he could not recall happening in his career.

Sam KezarOct 23, 20263 min read
Half of Washington's second-half catches ended at Dugger or Warner
49ers Deep Dive

Half of Washington's second-half catches ended at Dugger or Warner

San Francisco beat Washington 23-17 to go 6-0, gaining 303 yards in the first half and 72 after it while Washington went from 90 to 224. Jayden Daniels completed 22 of 30 passes for 212 yards after halftime, almost all of them short, and Jaden Dugger and Fred Warner made the tackle on 11 of the 22, with Dre Greenlaw suspended, Garret Wallow inactive and Luke Gifford out after four snaps. Two of Washington's four first downs by penalty were illegal-contact calls on Renardo Green and Ashtyn Davis, the second wiping out a fourth-down sack; PFF graded Davis lowest of the 20 49ers defenders who played. Purdy threw 21 of his 29 passes to backs and tight ends, and after Evans left with his sore Achilles he threw nine more and one went to a wide receiver. Romello Height had four quarterback hits after missing Friday's practice. Greenlaw's suspension was lifted Tuesday; Christian Kirk is a possibility for Atlanta.

Sam KezarOct 21, 20266 min read
After Pineiro's field goal, Washington ran 40 plays and the 49ers ran nine
Takeaways

After Pineiro's field goal, Washington ran 40 plays and the 49ers ran nine

San Francisco beat Washington 23-17 at Levi's Stadium on Monday night and is 6-0 for the first time since 2019. It led 23-3 with 5:56 left in the third quarter, and from there the offense ran nine plays on three possessions without a first down while Washington ran 40 and scored twice. Four of Washington's first downs came by penalty, two of them wiping out a third-down incompletion and a fourth-down sack. Malik Mustapha broke up a fourth-and-3 pass at the 17 with two minutes left, and Keion White and Romello Height sacked Jayden Daniels on the final play. Mike Evans caught three passes for 94 yards and left with 1:10 in the first half with the Achilles soreness that kept him out of practice all week. Brock Purdy passed 1,500 career attempts on the opening drive, and the club's notes list him first in career passer rating. Jaden Dugger led the team with 11 tackles. Luke Gifford and Upton Stout also left and did not return.

Sam KezarOct 20, 20265 min read
Greenlaw's suspension is over, and Kirk still needs a roster spot
49ers Notebook

Greenlaw's suspension is over, and Kirk still needs a roster spot

The league lifted Dre Greenlaw's one-game suspension on Tuesday and put him on a roster exemption, and the 49ers released defensive tackle Naquan Jones the same afternoon. Fred Warner and Jaden Dugger played 67 and 64 of 67 defensive snaps on Monday with Greenlaw out. Jones's spot is the one Greenlaw needs, which leaves the 53 full again and means Christian Kirk, whose practice window closes Nov. 5, needs a second move. Kyle Shanahan said after Monday's win that Mike Evans's Achilles tendinitis is not a long-term thing; Ian Rapoport said on ESPN, per 49ers Webzone, that Evans will have to manage it for the better part of the season. Shanahan said he would be surprised to get Deebo Samuel or Demarcus Robinson back for Atlanta. James Thompson Jr. played 21 snaps on Monday in his return from an ankle injury. Luke Gifford (groin) and Upton Stout (shoulder) have no update since Monday; the first report of the short week follows Wednesday's practice.

Sam KezarOct 20, 20263 min read
Seven Of San Francisco's Nine Rookies Are Listed Second At A Position For The Opener
Week 1 Preview

Seven Of San Francisco's Nine Rookies Are Listed Second At A Position For The Opener

San Francisco opens the 2026 season against Los Angeles at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday at 5:35 p.m. Pacific, 10:35 a.m. Friday in Melbourne, on Netflix, with radio on KSFO 810 AM and KSAN 107.7 FM. The club's roster page, counted in a browser on Thursday morning, carries 53 active players and exactly nine rookies. Seven of those nine are listed second at a position on the club's own website depth chart, stamped September 8 and labelled unofficial; the other two are listed third. None is listed first. The club's final injury report, published at 12:23 a.m. Pacific Thursday, issued two game designations: DL Alfred Collins out with a knee, which Kyle Shanahan said is a torn patellar tendon that ends his season, and rookie DL James Thompson Jr. questionable with a hamstring. Nick Bosa, knee, and George Kittle, achilles, were limited at all three Melbourne practices and carry no designation. Shanahan on the two of them: 'We've got to be smart with that. They both look great but we've definitely got to be smart with that.' Bosa said he is '100 percent ready to go for the first game.' Luke Gifford, Renardo Green, Dre Greenlaw, Gracen Halton and Romello Height all progressed to full participation at the last practice. Kyle Juszczyk stayed limited with a finger. Los Angeles ruled out Aaron Donald, filed under rest. Inactives land 90 minutes before kickoff. Ten players to watch, and the club's own chart still lists two men who cannot play.

Sam KezarSep 10, 20265 min read
Nick Bosa And Christian McCaffrey Did No Drills In The Open Portion Of The First Melbourne Practice
Practice Notebook

Nick Bosa And Christian McCaffrey Did No Drills In The Open Portion Of The First Melbourne Practice

Nick Bosa and Christian McCaffrey did not take part in drills during the portion of San Francisco's first Melbourne practice open to reporters, per Matt Maiocco at NBC Sports Bay Area and Matt Barrows at The Athletic. San Francisco plays the Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday at 5:35 p.m. Pacific. Reporters leave before team drills, and the club was not required to file a participation report, so what either man did after that is not public. Shanahan said the time difference meant he did not have to talk about injuries until the following day, and did not. George Kittle and Mike Evans practised. Barrows listed six men back from injury: Renardo Green, Romello Height, Jacob Cowing, Vederian Lowe, Gracen Halton and Luke Gifford. Five of the six who sat out the September 2 practice in Santa Clara are on that list; James Thompson Jr. is on no list either way. The club named eight captains, all eight returning from 2025, and Bosa and McCaffrey are two of them. Brayden Willis is back on the practice squad, which now sits at seventeen.

Sam KezarSep 7, 20265 min read
Nick Bosa Practised For The First Time Since August 3
Camp Notebook

Nick Bosa Practised For The First Time Since August 3

Nick Bosa practised Wednesday for the first time since August 3, in individual drills and in team periods, per Nick Wagoner at ESPN. It is his first full practice since he tore the right anterior cruciate ligament in Week 3 of last season. He said afterwards that once a session reaches team work there is no governor on it, and that he is confident about Week 1. Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday morning that Bosa and George Kittle both travel to Australia. Kittle has now had three straight days of team work, dated to Monday by John Lynch. Six players sat out, three fewer than Tuesday: Renardo Green, Jacob Cowing, Luke Gifford, Gracen Halton, Romello Height and James Thompson Jr. Jack Jones was on neither list and did no work with the team. Left guard is still not named. The club hosted defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson on a visit and signed nobody.

Sam KezarSep 2, 20264 min read
Brett Toth's Undisclosed Injury Was A Concussion, And This Board Took Him Off The 53
Camp Notebook

Brett Toth's Undisclosed Injury Was A Concussion, And This Board Took Him Off The 53

Saturday's notebook: the undisclosed injury this beat has been carrying for three days got a name and cost its owner a place on this site's projected 53, Connor Colby lost most of a one-on-one session two days after losing the first-team reps, the defence intercepted Brock Purdy twice in the red zone, and the head coach took a podium for the first time since his car accident.

Sam KezarAug 8, 20268 min read

Also appears in

Kirk is activated, and the 49ers will dress exactly 48 at Atlanta

Oct 24, 2026

Nick Bosa missed Thursday too, and Lynch put him in the Evans bucket

Oct 22, 2026

Mykel Williams and Siran Neal are the new names on Wednesday's list

Oct 21, 2026

Christian Kirk is out Monday, which leaves one game inside his practice window

Oct 19, 2026

Bosa is out Monday, which Shanahan says is what the 49ers expected

Oct 17, 2026

Christian Kirk returned to practice the day Mike Evans sat out

Oct 15, 2026

The 49ers worked out four linebackers the day after Greenlaw lost his appeal

Oct 14, 2026

Deebo Samuel will miss some time, leaving the 49ers four available receivers

Oct 12, 2026

Seattle's turnovers made 21 points, and the 49ers still needed the last kick

Oct 12, 2026

Mike Evans practiced Friday, but he is a game-time decision against Denver

Oct 2, 2026

San Francisco Has Told You George Kittle Plays. It Has Not Told You How Much Of Him You Get.

Sep 10, 2026

Aaron Donald Did Not Travel And Myles Garrett Did

Sep 10, 2026

Nick Bosa Was Limited In Melbourne And The Only Man Who Did Not Practice Was An Undrafted Rookie

Sep 8, 2026

Eight Of San Francisco's Nine Defensive Linemen Landed In Melbourne

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Carver Willis Is The Only Name At Left Guard, And He Is Listed Second

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Nate Hobbs Made The 53 On Sunday And Went On Injured Reserve On Monday

Aug 31, 2026

Shanahan Says Left Guard Is Close To Decided, And Thursday Is The Last Evidence He Gets

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Carver Willis Took The First-Team Left Guard Reps In El Segundo

Aug 18, 2026

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Paraag Marathe Left, And Seventy-Two Void Seasons Stayed

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