For one reason or another, the San Francisco 49ers’ situation at safety entering 2025 has flown under the radar in comparison to wide receiver shortages, running back attrition and defensive line depth.
Heck, even coordinator Robert Saleh said at the start of training camp that the competition for the starting safety roles was “wide open.”
With Week 1 just around the corner, the Niners’ situation at safety isn’t necessarily looking great.
However, the New England Patriots may have just extended San Francisco a lifeline to address said situation, and it involves a veteran safety who could plug and play in a starting role.
49ers should sign Jabrill Peppers right away to answer safety shortages
The 49ers’ concerns at safety are pretty deep, especially considering second-year pro Malik Mustapha is starting the season on the physically unable-to-perform list after last year’s ACL tear, meaning he won’t be returning anytime soon.
For now, it appears as if the Niners have to roll with a questionable trio of Jason Pinnock, the downward-trending Ji’Ayir Brown and rookie Marques Sigle.
The Pats, meanwhile, just released veteran safety Jabrill Peppers in quite the shocking move, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and subsequently questioned by Pro Football Focus:
Jabrill Peppers has a 90.1 PFF grade over the past two seasons — fourth among all safeties 🔒
— PFF (@PFF) August 29, 2025
Peppers, who’ll turn 30 years old this October, should have plenty of suitors after seemingly finding a quality fit in New England. Sure, injuries limited him to six games a year ago, but the fully healthy version remains a serviceable player, one who boasts 511 tackles, seven interceptions and 35 pass breakups over the course of his eight-year career that started with the Cleveland Browns as a first-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Granted, Peppers isn’t a long-term option for San Francisco, even if Saleh had plenty of first-hand observations of him when the Patriots squared off against the New York Jets twice a year during the coordinator’s head-coaching tenure there.
Still, the 49ers are taking a substantial risk in hoping that either Brown or Pinnock can form an effective backfield alongside Sigle, who seems to be a day-one starter despite being a rookie.
Peppers is an upgrade over all those names, and he could still play a valuable role for the Niners upon Mustapha’s return.
Plus, the ability to chase a Super Bowl ring improves in the transition from New England to the Bay Area, making for an additional selling point.
All San Francisco has to do is pick up the phone and make an offer.
