The San Francisco 49ers got some rough news recently with it seeming likely that safety Malik Mustapha will miss the start of the 2025 season with an ACL injury suffered in the Niners' 2024 regular-season finale.
San Francisco would be wise to bring back veteran safety Tashaun Gipson.
The news on Mustapha is very disappointing because he was one of the few bright spots for the team last season. It was his rookie campaign, and he lived up to his reputation as a hard-hitting playmaker, making 72 combined tackles including two tackles for loss and one interception.
San Francisco still has third-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown who will likely see more playing time, but he regressed considerably in 2024, which is a cause for concern going forward. The team also has George Odum as an option at safety but he is typically more useful on special teams.
Knowing that Mustapha would be out to begin next season, the 49ers selected safety Marques Sigle in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He seems to be promising, but the 49ers would benefit from having another veteran in the mix as Mustapha tries to get healthy.
That is where Gipson comes into play.
The 34-year-old veteran first signed with San Francisco in 2022 and played great, recording 61 combined tackles and five interceptions while starting all 17 games. He followed that up with another solid year in 2023 but was then suspended due to violating the NFL's performance-enhancing policy.
He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars while he was suspended but never ended up playing for them. Jacksonville released him in November, and he was promptly scooped up by the Niners who needed some help at safety due to injuries. Gipson suited up for nine games and saw limited action, only recording six combined tackles.
The Mustapha injury opens the door to a reunion with Gipson. The veteran is going to be age 35 in a few months and may not have a ton left in the tank, but it would not hurt to bring him in as a veteran option to help out in the secondary or at the very least serve as a mentor to a rookie like Sigle.
It is unfortunate that the 49ers will most likely be without Mustapha to begin next season. However, San Francisco must move on, and bringing back Gipson could go a long way towards ensuring it has the necessary depth at the safety position entering the 2025 season.