The 49ers’ safety depth was impacted this offseason with the departure of veteran starter Tashaun Gipson in free agency. With emerging young talent Ji’Ayir Brown on the roster and Gipson reaching 34 years old, a return to San Francisco was unlikely. The team is now poised to address this need by adding veteran safety Tracy Walker, as reported by Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
Barrows reveals that the 49ers plan to sign Walker, a former Lions defensive back, tomorrow. This move will require a corresponding roster adjustment to make space for him. Earlier in the offseason, the team evaluated other veteran safeties, including Rayshawn Jenkins and Julian Blackmon, but both ultimately signed with the Seahawks and Colts, respectively.
Walker was drafted by the Lions as a third-round pick in 2018 following a standout four-year career with the Ragin’ Cajuns at Louisiana. In his rookie season, he played behind Glover Quin and Quandre Diggs. After Quin’s release in the offseason, Walker moved into a full-time starting role in his second year.
He faced difficulties maintaining the starting position in 2020, sharing duties with Jayron Kearse, but bounced back to start 15 games in 2021. Unfortunately, a torn Achilles tendon kept him out for most of the 2022 season.
Last year, Walker lost his starting position with the Lions. Returning from his Achilles injury, he started five of Detroit’s first seven games. However, young safeties Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu eventually took over as the starters, leading to Walker’s release, which helped the Lions clear significant cap space.
Fortunately for the 49ers, Walker won’t be expected to start immediately. They are anticipating the return of former All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga, who missed the last seven games of 2023 due to a torn ACL. While Hufanga aims to be ready for the season opener, Walker’s experience will provide valuable depth alongside Ji’Ayir Brown, should there be any setbacks in Hufanga’s recovery.
