49ers Bring Back Former Veteran Starting Safety

A familiar face is back with the 49ers signing to their practice squad after he was recently released.
Nov 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. (31) reacts following a field goal miss by Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. (31) reacts following a field goal miss by Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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A familiar face returns.

The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back veteran safety Tashaun Gipson, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. On Monday, Gipson was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after he was placed on the exempt/commissioner's permission list.

Gipson was suspended for the first six games of the season due to violating the NFL's performance-enhancing policy. However, after the six games were up, Gipson still never made his debut for the Jaguars. His situation is an odd one considering he was placed on the exempt list.

There is possibly more to Gipson's situation than what has been reported. But if the 49ers are bringing him back, then it is likely minor or nothing at all. Re-signing Gipson makes sense for the 49ers given the instability at the safety position.

Gipson is being signed to the practice squad, so he won't be returning as a starter. He was the starter for two years and did a fine job at it. The 49ers elected to let Gipson walk most likely due to his age. They knew they needed to get young there, which is part of why they drafted Malik Mustapha.

He has been the only bright spot at safety this year. Ji'Ayir Brown has been underwhelming and will look to step up in the second half of the season. Talanoa Hufanga may be out for the season after he was placed on Injured Reserve with torn ligaments in his wrist.

As a result, Gipson's return was out of necessity for the 49ers. They get a decent player who will fit in immediately should they need it. This also allows them to keep George Odum as a special team player. He hasn't been good playing safety this year when he's been tasked with it.

The 49ers have done some bargain shopping today. First, it was trading for defensive tackle Khalil Davis. Then, it was signing Gipson to the practice squad. The theme of the day is depth for the 49ers, which was needed. It can be chalked up as a successful outing for them.


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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.