49ers use coaching connections to their advantage to land veteran safety net at injury-hit position

The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with injury issues at the safety position, primarily concerning Talanoa Hufanga, throughout the 2024 season.

Now, with Hufanga on injured reserve and out for at least three more weeks with torn ligaments in his wrist and Malik Mustapha nursing a low ankle sprain , the 49ers have added some veteran insurance at the position.

San Francisco is signing former Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos to its practice squad, per his agency Equity Sports. He follows fellow former Packer Anders Carlson in joining the Niners practice squad, from which wide receiver Terrace Marshall was on Tuesday released, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero .

Though Mustapha's injury, sustained in last week's win over the Seattle Seahawks, is not a serious one, it left the 49ers with Ji'Ayir Brown and George Odum as San Francisco's only healthy safeties on the active roster.

The acquisition of Amos gives them another experienced head they can call on, and one who should be able to adapt to the defense quickly.

Amos' two stops in 2023 were both with teams then coached by former 49ers defensive coordinators. He played 11 games for the New York Jets under Robert Saleh last season before being released at his request in December and promptly signed by DeMeco Ryans' Houston Texans.

As such, Amos, who spent a brief spell with the Jacksonville Jaguars in August, will be very familiar with the scheme run by defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.

On top of that, Amos also has a connection with 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley, who was the Bears' linebackers coach from 2017 to 2018. Amos played five seasons with the Bears having been drafted by Chicago in 2015.

Amos' signing is a case of the 49ers using their coaching connections to their advantage to land a player who brings significant experience and who should be able adapt quickly if they need to throw him into the fire.

It's not a headline-grabbing move, but it's an important one on the margins at a spot where the 49ers haven't had a lot of continuity this season.

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