There's a good chance new San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris wants to revamp the secondary in several ways entering 2026, and perhaps he's already started doing that.
And that also might mean easily letting go of players he no longer sees as vital pieces.
Whether or not the Niners were intent on keeping veteran safety Jason Pinnock, one of their few free-agent pickups from the 2025 season, is anyone's guess. But that won't matter much anymore, as the 26-year-old Pinnock is re-joining the team that employed him over the three previous years before signing with San Francisco, the New York Giants, as reported by Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz:
Sources: The #Giants are signing veteran DB Jason Pinnock.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 13, 2026
Pinnock, who was with the Giants from 2022–2024, is now back after spending last year with the 49ers. He has started 46 career games, including 37 with the Giants. pic.twitter.com/51hdIhpnUY
Read more: 49ers free agency tracker 2026: Signings, departures, latest news and more
Pinnock played all 17 games for the 49ers last season, starting seven of them and providing some relief for a defensive backfield that lost Talanoa Hufanga via free agency and was dealing with inconsistencies from both Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha.
While Pinnock was by no means a game-changing force for the Niners, he at least provided some modest stability.
Now off to the G-Men, San Francisco will no longer be able to entertain a reunion, if it was even considering one in the first place. And that could catapult the need for a rangy over-the-top safety to cap off Morris' defense, adding pressure to do so either in the second wave of free agency and/or via the NFL Draft this April.
There aren't too many other likable options the 49ers currently have to beef up that part of the defense.
Pinnock's one-year tenure in the Bay Area also included 41 tackles, one of which was for a loss, while opposing quarterbacks posted a 138.0 passer rating when targeting him in coverage.