Why the 49ers Brought Back Tashaun Gipson

Head coach Kyle Shanahan explains why the 49ers signed Tashaun Gipson to the practice squad.

Nov 12, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; San Fransisco 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson Sr (31) takes a knee before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers brought back former starting safety Tashaun Gipson.

The 49ers let Gipson walk in free agency with the desire to go younger at the position. Gipson had no offers initially and is largely because of looming punishment. Gipson was suspended for the first six games of the season due to violating the NFL's performance-enhancing policy.

He would end up signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars but never played in a game for them. Gipson now finds himself back with the 49ers on the practice squad, which is where he initially started. The safety position needed depth and Gipson provides that. On Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked why the 49ers brought back Gipson.

"Just want to see where he’s at," said Shanahan. "With him having the suspension and then him being with Jacksonville, he was always someone we were looking to, in the offseason, to bring here. And then he ended up getting with Jacksonville and we're glad that he is not there.

"We knew as soon as that wouldn't be the case, we wanted to get him here if it worked out for him, with some of the injuries that we have. It was awesome to be able to get him and be available for a practice squad and we'll get to see him practice this week and we'll play it from there.”

So long as Gipson is healthy and in shape, the 49ers will retain him. He can slide into the defense on a moment's notice. Plus, he's a better option than George Odum who only excels on special teams. Gipson's addition could also be a possible threat to Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga.

For Hufanga, he is a player that I'm not so sure the 49ers care about returning. He's currently on Injured Reserve with torn ligaments in his wrist. Before his injury, he hardly provided any positive impact. Not to mention he's in the last year of his contract.

For Brown, he's been disappointing this season. Every performance before Week 8 left a lot to be desired from him. He was expected to leap in his second year but hasn't come close to it. If he doesn't build upon his performance against the Dallas Cowboys, he will start to lose snaps.

However, this will all be pointless if Gipson isn't in shape and healthy. So, one week at a time.

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