Former San Francisco 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson is looking for an NFL team to play for. That task just became a bit more difficult. Gipson is suspended for six NFL games, per KPRC News. The reason for the suspension is unclear.
Gipson played a key role for the 49ers defense the last few seasons. He helped the team get to the Super Bowl this past year, where it lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Gipson has started 34 games the last two seasons with San Francisco. Although he is a free agent, the 49ers were rumored to want to re-sign the defensive back. It is unclear if the team will still push for a deal with him.
In the 2023 season, Gipson had one sack, one interception and three passes defended. He also had 60 combined tackles. He picked up 12 solo stops during the postseason, and played a lot of snaps in their playoff journey to the Super Bowl. The safety has played in the NFL since 2012. He suited up with the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears, before coming to the Bay in 2022.
In his NFL career, the safety has 684 total tackles, to go with 33 interceptions and 2.5 sacks.
Will the 49ers look to re-sign Gipson?
The 49ers are looking to get a Super Bowl victory, following another disappointing showing in the championship game this past season. The franchise has lost twice since 2020 in the NFL title game to the Kansas City Chiefs. The window is possibly closing for the franchise to keep its core group of players together, and grabbing Gipson again would surely be a logical option.
The 49ers have a lot of guys in their secondary though, so the safety may not see the field as often as he has the last two years. The franchise also used the NFL Draft to get some help in that defensive backfield. San Francisco drafted cornerback Renardo Green from Florida State in the second round. The team then used a fourth round pick on safety Malik Mustapha from Wake Forest. There's certainly a lot of bodies in the San Francisco secondary.
Despite the suspension, it is quite possible that some team in the NFL will swoop up the veteran. He would be a strong addition to any team looking for some depth in their pass defense. Gipson was a 2014 Pro Bowl selection. One team that could immediately benefit from his presence in the defensive backfield is the Washington Commanders. Washington struggled tremendously in their pass defense last season, and a versatile playmaker like Gipson could immediately bring leadership and experience to that team's young locker room.
Time will tell what becomes of this veteran safety. He can clearly play, so the question is will a team take a chance on him. A suspension is clearly never a good thing. Six games, however, allows Gipson a chance to return to the field this season with plenty of time to make an impact.