The San Francisco 49ers lost one of their key members in the secondary earlier this offseason as veteran safety Talanoa Hufanga signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Denver Broncos.
With Hufanga out the door, the 49ers made sure to get a reinforcement at the strong safety spot behind Ji’Ayir Brown. San Francisco signed former Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant to a one-year deal.
Grant is coming off a disappointing 2024 season with the Falcons, but is looking to rebound with the 49ers. The veteran defensive back is already working hard in San Francisco, which is what you want to see if you are head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Grant posted a video on social media of himself doing a box drill while in the 49ers’ locker room.
#49ers S Richie Grant is putting in extra work after practice is over 👀
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) June 1, 2025
Grant, a free agent signing this off-season, has a major opportunity at S with Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown both recovering from off-season surgeries pic.twitter.com/NfkDCoPoUr
If you are a Niners fan, you like that Grant is doing whatever it takes as he’s playing for another contract in San Francisco or elsewhere. The veteran safety has a chance to make a strong case for playing time during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, especially with Ji’Ayir Brown out until training camp after undergoing an ankle procedure.
Additionally, Malik Mustapha will miss the start of the 2025 regular season as he recovers from an ACL injury. The 49ers also signed veteran safety Jason Pinnock in free agency, but you can make the case that Grant is the better player.
Last season with the Falcons, Grant only had 14 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and two pass deflections. The veteran also made one start in 2024 after becoming a full-time starter in 2022 and 2023 in Atlanta.
That said, Grant has a lot to prove with the 49ers after being demoted to a backup role in his final year with the Falcons. We’ll see if he takes advantage of this new opportunity, as the 49ers could use him.