Why the 49ers re-signed safety Tashaun Gipson

The San Francisco 49ers brought back a familiar face on Wednesday, signing veteran safety Tashaun Gipson to the practice squad after the trade deadline concluded.

Gipson, who played with the 49ers in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, had most recently been with the Jacksonville Jaguars after facing a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

The 34-year-old had been a full-time starter in each of the two seasons, recording five interceptions back in 2022 while being a consistent cog in the backend of the secondary alongside Talanoa Hufanga.

It was unclear whether the 49ers would welcome Gipson back due to his suspension, but they've dealt with injuries and inconsistencies at the safety position, with Hufanga dealing with several issues of his own, while the younger players have missed a number of tackles.

What was the thought process behind bringing Gipson back this time around?

"Just want to see where he's at," head coach Kyle Shanahan said about Gipson on Wednesday. "With him having the suspension and then him being with Jacksonville, he was always someone we were looking to, in the offseason, to bring here. And then he ended up getting with Jacksonville and we're glad that he is not there. We knew as soon as that wouldn't be the case, we wanted to get him here if it worked out for him, with some of the injuries that we have. It was awesome to be able to get him and be available for a practice squad, and we'll get to see him practice this week, and we'll play it from there."

San Francisco signed veteran safety Adrian Amos a few weeks ago, who suited up against the Dallas Cowboys , playing in a special teams role in Week 8.

The veteran moves could be an indication of how the 49ers view their incumbents at the position, as San Francisco has tended to go with more experienced players at times.

Gipson also provides something different for the 49ers as a coverage safety, whereas the remainder of the team's safeties play better closer to the box.

Given where the team is in the season, it's unclear how big of a role Gipson will ultimately play for the 49ers, but it would be a big change if the veteran could re-claim his starting role in some capacity coming off the street.