The San Francisco 49ers may be bringing in some help for their secondary.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday confirmed the club had a tryout with free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., the son of four-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro CB Asante Samuel.
It’s interesting Samuel is still a free agent. The former second-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers spent his first four seasons in LA, but had his 2024 campaign derailed by a shoulder injury. Samuel told ESPN’s Kris Rhim the injury is a lifelong issue, but his absence from the field this season is due to his recovery from spinal fusion surgery. He was recently cleared to resume football activities.
Shanahan said he’d yet to receive an update on how the workout went with the 26-year-old.
“I didn’t get a chance to meet with him or was part of the workout,” Shanahan said. “I’ve been dealing with our team and putting the Rams game to bed, so haven’t gotten a chance to talk to anyone about it yet. But, I’m sure just to check him out and see where he is at. We know he has been a hell of a player, so it’s probably just to see where he is at right now.”
For the 49ers, depth in the secondary could become imperative as they try and put together a patchwork, playoff-caliber defense. With a struggling pass rush, adding CB help could be San Francisco’s path forward in a reversal of their typical team-building strategy where they build behind a fierce pass rush.
Samuel has played in 50 games with 47 starts across four seasons as a pro. He notched six interceptions and 37 pass breakups with 176 tackles during his tenure with the Chargers.
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