Former 49ers LB Kwon Alexander signs with Broncos practice squad

The Denver Broncos signed veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander to their practice squad on Wednesday. Alexander is entering his 10th NFL season and would be playing for his sixth NFL franchise if he appears in a regular season game. By joining the Broncos, Alexander is also reuniting with Sean Payton, who was previously his head coach during a stint with the New Orleans Saints.

San Francisco 49ers fans may remember Alexander as one of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s sizable free agent investments early in their tenure. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Alexander hit free agency as one of the top linebackers on the open market. Despite Alexander actively rehabbing a torn ACL, the Niners were willing to offer Alexander a sizable four-year contract with $25.5 million guaranteed.

Unfortunately, Alexander was never quite able to live up to expectations. Injuries limited him to just eight starts during his first year with the team, and he would ultimately only appear in 13 games with the Niners before he was traded to Payton and the Saints during the 2020 season. After spending a season and a half with the Saints, Alexander reunited with former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh by joining the New York Jets in 2022. He appeared in all 17 games with the Jets, making 12 starts. Then, he joined the Steelers in 2023.

Over his career, Alexander has appeared in 104 games (88 starts), racking up 631 tackles, 54 tackles for loss, 34 passes defended, 31 quarterback hits, 13.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, and 9 interceptions. In nine games (two starts) with the Steelers last season, he amassed 41 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits, 1 sack, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception.