When the dust settles from the NFL’s roster deadline, a familiar face could be an option that the 49ers could consider.
Long-time 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. The Samford product was drafted by the 49ers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft and spent seven seasons in Santa Clara.
With Jimmie Ward set to miss at least the first four weeks of the season on short-term injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, Tartt seems like an obvious option if general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan see the need to add depth.
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But still, odds are that it won’t happen.
“We haven't talked to him,” Lynch said in April after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft. “We haven't gone there yet. We will see. He's a free agent. We think highly of Jaquiski, he's played a lot of good football for us and we're grateful for that. Talented, talented dude. And he'll play in this league and continue to play at a high level.”
The 49ers have used several combinations at safety since Ward has been sidelined. Talanoa Hufanga, Tarvarius Moore and George Odum have had the most time on the field with the first-team defense.
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The club added UDFA Tayler Hawkins to the group, which also includes veteran Dontae Johnson and recent addition Tashaun Gipson, who was signed on August 22.
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If there is any further attrition to the safeties group, the 49ers' front office would likely revisit bringing Tartt back into the fold. The veteran safety appeared in 80 games over his seven seasons with the club and could easily step back into the group without missing a beat.
“[Tartt is a] guy we know, that we believe in as a person,” Shanahan said after the draft. “Everyone knows, Tartt played at a high level and we would never rule out anybody like that.”