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.
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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, which may explain why the talented CB is still on the free agent market.
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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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL free agents: CB Asante Samuel Jr. works out for 49ers