49ers sign three to practice squad

The San Francisco 49ers know who their starting safeties will be in 2023. They are All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga and 12th-year veteran Tashaun Gipson. Gipson, who is 32 years old, reportedly flirted with the idea of retiring this offseason before returning to the Niners on a one-year deal. The always forward-thinking 49ers used their first pick in April's draft, a third-rounder, to add a player they hope can be Gipson's eventual replacement—Ji'Ayir Brown out of Penn State. Don't expect Brown to simply be an observer on the sidelines during his rookie season while Hufanga and Gipson do all the work. The 49ers plan to find ways to get him onto the football field and gain valuable experience. According to The Athletic, the coaches plan to utilize some three-safety

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead joined NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Thursday to discuss the state of the team at the start of organized team activities (OTAs). Armstead is part of a defensive line that includes NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and added former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. The question that had to be asked: Does San Francisco own the best defensive line in football? "Well, on paper, I guess you could say that, but 'on paper' doesn't win any game," Armstead responded. "But we're excited about getting together and starting that journey of

It's premature to draw conclusions about a quarterback based on practices in May. That is especially true when you do so based on one practice. The San Francisco 49ers started organized team activities (OTAs) this week, and all eyes were on Trey Lance and Sam Darnold. The two players are battling for that QB2 job behind last season's rookie sensation, Brock Purdy. One could even start Week 1 if Purdy is not healthy enough to do so himself. Lance is coming off a season-ending ankle injury but looks completely healthy now. Darnold is trying to turn his career around after never living up to his high draft status. Matt Barrows of The Athletic was on hand for Tuesday's practice, the only one open to reporters so far, and one that Barrows describes as a

One of the biggest criticisms about Jimmy Garoppolo has been his availability. The quarterback wins football games but has been available for an entire season just once in his career—in 2019. Garoppolo's latest injury occurred on December 4 while with the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran left a regular-season game against the Miami Dolphins with a foot injury. It was later revealed that he suffered a broken foot and would miss significant time. However, it wasn't believed to require surgery. That led to the emergence of Brock Purdy, the seventh-round draft pick that took the NFL by storm. He led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game before suffering an injury himself. Garoppolo remained on the 49ers' 53-man roster through all that. The 49ers