49ers roster: 5 players who won’t be back in 2022
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers Safety Jaquiski Tartt
Two things can be equally true when it comes to evaluating veteran strong safety Jaquiski Tartt: The 49ers defense is better with him on the field than without, and he’s also a notably injury-prone player with a similar health record as Raheem Mostert.
The Niners seemed to sense this last offseason already, electing to both sign and draft other safeties to beef up the depth chart before Tartt, who was dealing with a turf-toe injury to close out 2020, re-signed on a team-friendly one-year deal.
Tartt exited the Week 7 contest with a knee injury and didn’t return, which certainly doesn’t help him avoid the injury-prone bug.
And as unfortunate as that might be for his own career, it at least opened up the door for fifth-round rookie Talanoa Hufanga to see some time with the defense versus the Colts.
It was limited action, yes. But Hufanga nevertheless didn’t surrender a completion on his lone target, and the former USC standout certainly has a collegiate pedigree that suggests he’s worthy of a larger role moving forward.
Cheaper, younger and potentially more healthy, Hufanga likely winds up being the long-term replacement for Tartt, who’ll likely be seeking a contract elsewhere in 2022.