Key starters expected to return for San Francisco 49ers in Week 16

The 49ers need this players for this matchup.

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The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most injured teams thoughout the entire 2025 season. While the team will never get completely healthy, it is significant to note that they will potentially be getting three significant contributors back on the defensive side of the football in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Multiple starters return for San Francisco 49ers in Week 16

The 49ers are expecting both Tatum Bethune and Sam Okuayinonu to return this week. Both spent the week practicing and they do not have injury designations, suggesting that they will play with no issue. Both are massive.

For Okuayinonu, he brings the 49ers some beef up front on their defensive line. Their front four is usually the weakest unit on the field at all times, and they are leaning heavily on Keion White and Clelin Ferrell, two players who were not on the roster ten weeks ago. 

Getting Okuayinonu back also allows the 49ers to play him on run downs more often and get Bryce Huff off of the field on run downs. At his best, Huff is a situational pass rusher. However, he is losing energy that he uses to rush the passer when he has to play the run, an area he is not strong in. 

So, the 49ers add depth and can put a lot of their rushers in better position to succeed. Beyond that, the team is expected to bring Yetur Gross-Matos back from the IR.

Gross-Matos is viewed as a situational rusher who slides inside on third downs. The team could deploy Okuayinonu, Gross-Matos, White, and Huff as their front four on obvious pass plays. That is much improved from recent weeks. 

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San Francsico 49ers will get Tatum Bethune back in Week 16

While Tatum Bethune is not going to replace Fred Warner, he was doing much better at it than Curtis Robinson, who is a practice squad player and looked like it recent weeks. The 49ers are also getting Eric Kendricks back, which means that Robinson is going to be far away from the field after starting the last three weeks.

Bethune will not only help physically, he is going to wear the green dot, meaning he is going to call the plays and get the defensie aligned. 

Overall, these are some notable changes to the 49ers defense and it should lead to them looking improved over the final three games.