4 former 49ers players San Francisco should bring back in 2022

The 49ers may be seeking some low-budget players in NFL free agency in 2022, but it wouldn’t hurt to reunite with these four former Niners players.

Assuming the San Francisco 49ers are going to officially move on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, either by way of a trade or an outright release, the Niners will have roughly $20 million available to attack the offseason when the start of NFL free agency begins in parallel with the beginning of the league new year on March 16.

Considering general manager John Lynch will need to reserve approximately $7 million to eventually sign San Francisco’s 2022 NFL Draft class, that’ll leave about $13 million left for free agency.

Perhaps the 49ers can splurge on one high-profile free agent and/or a re-sign player, such as left guard Laken Tomlinson.

But it’s likely the Niners will have to settle for lower-cost free agents to supplement the voids on the roster.

Fortunately, there are some former San Francisco players who might be of interest and likely wouldn’t cost the team too much, meaning Lynch and Co. should at least entertain bringing these former 49ers back for another go-around.

Former 49ers player No. 4: Cornerback Richard Sherman

The Niners had their reasons for bidding veteran cornerback Richard Sherman a farewell after 2020, injuries and his age being primary among them.

After another injury-plagued campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he only appeared in just five games, the soon-to-be 34-year-old Sherman is certainly hitting the last portion of his NFL career and probably doesn’t have the ability to line up solely as a cornerback.

Instead, as he even suggested back when he was with San Francisco, Sherman might have to switch to safety to extend his career a little longer.

The 49ers might have a need there, too, as strong safety Jaquiski Tartt is poised to hit the free-agent market and might not return.

Even if Sherman is only a fraction of the player he was during his heyday, it’s important to note the Niners secondary could be awfully young in 2022 and would need some veteran leadership, which Sherman more than adequately provided during his previous three-year stint with the team.