Some brutal news for former Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave, now in his second year with the San Francisco 49ers. According to 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan, Hargrave is likely to miss the rest of the 2024 season due to a partially torn triceps.
The injury happened during Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Based on those who follow the team, it appears Hargrave attempted to play through the injury but was clearly in significant pain that hampered his performance. It led to moments like this where he struggled to even get through a play without grabbing his arm in pain.
Before yesterday’s injury, he was playing well, picking up a sack.
Signed to a massive multi-year deal in 2023, Javon Hargrave started 16 games for the 49ers last season. An impact player along one of football’s best defensive lines, he finished the year with 44 tackles and seven sacks, making the second Pro Bowl of his career. Through three games this season, he notched seven tackles and one sack.
A small school gem from South Carolina State, the Steelers drafted him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Though Pittsburgh rarely selects players from below the FBS level, then-defensive line coach John Mitchell worked him out and was impressed. A good athlete despite his stocky frame that earned him the nickname “J-Wobble,” Hargrave immediately beat out Daniel McCullers to become the Steelers’ starting nose tackle.
In Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense, playing time was hard to come by, and he logged under 500 snaps in his first three seasons. However, he still found ways to be productive and made the most of his opportunity, picking up 6.5 sacks in 2018. He played over 600 snaps the following season, finishing with four sacks.
With an opportunity to play more elsewhere, Javon Hargrave unsurprisingly signed elsewhere after his rookie contract was up. He signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. His best season came in 2022 when he registered a whopping 11 sacks, recording 23 of them throughout his time with the Eagles.
A free agent again in March of 2023, he turned down a lucrative offer from the Cleveland Browns, telling Cam Heyward he couldn’t imagine playing for them after spending four years with Pittsburgh. Instead, he signed a four-year, $84 million contract with the 49ers. He made it to the Super Bowl last year before falling just short, losing both of his Super Bowl appearances. Now, he’ll rehab and work his way back for 2025. It’s the latest in a long line of injuries for the 49ers, who played without WR Deebo Samuel, RB Christian McCaffrey, and TE George Kittle yesterday.
