49ers roster 2024: George Odum might be pressed into starting job

George Odum, a special teams ace, could find himself starting to begin the 49ers' 2024 regular-season campaign.

The San Francisco 49ers signed veteran free-agent safety George Odum back in 2022 for one primary reason: to improve what was an underachieving special teams unit.

Odum, who earned a first-team All-Pro honor for such services back with the Indianapolis Colts, came with starting experience, too. But it was his merits on the vital third phase of the game that truly stood out.

However, thanks to an ACL injury suffered by starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga in the second half of 2023, plus the free-agent departure of free safety Tashaun Gipson, Odum might become more important a commodity for the Niners defense with 2024 just around the corner.

Odum has started 10 games over his career, none yet with San Francisco. But, depending on how things go with Hufanga and the rest of the 49ers depth chart, it's feasible to see the former Central Arkansas defensive back take on a more prominent role to start the season.

What awaits George Odum, 49ers in 2024?

Odum, too, suffered a devastating biceps injury last season but managed to return in the playoffs.

Whether or not that factored into the Niners' decision to extend him for another two years is anyone's guess, but maintaining some special teams prowess certainly didn't hurt matters either.

With Gipson gone, the rest of San Francisco's safety room includes the injured Hufanga, a second-year pro in Ji'Ayir Brown, a fourth-round drafted rookie in Malik Mustapha and a handful of other less-consequential names on the 49ers' training camp roster.

Brown, who started in place of Hufanga late last year, seems poised to retain a starting job. But things get dicey after that.

Hufanga is hoping to return from his ACL tear in time for Week 1, but there are no guarantees he'll be fully ready to play. Mustapha, meanwhile, is a rookie despite already generating plenty of promise from the point he was drafted through the start of camp.

If neither Hufanga nor Mustapha are legitimate starting options by Week 1, the likely go-to would be Odum.

While the veteran does have starting experience and would likely welcome the opportunity, one might guess the Niners would prefer that as only a desperation move only to open up the year.

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