49ers to add 2-time Super Bowl champion to defense with playoff push in mind: report
Safety Logan Ryan comes in as a veteran replacement after the Niners lost two pieces in the secondary
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The San Francisco 49ers have brought in a veteran replacement at safety, a position of need after losing All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga and George Odom to season-ending injuries.
Logan Ryan, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has signed with the Niners to bolster their secondary, per NFL Media.
Though specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Ryan is on board for at least this playoff push the team hopes to make.
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Logan Ryan #26 of the Tennessee Titans celebrates their 20-13 win over the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
With Hufanga tearing his ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaners and Odom tearing his biceps, Ryan’s arrival comes at a perfect time for the 49ers.
They are the No. 2 seed in the NFC after taking down the No. 1-seeded Philadelphia Eagles, the reigning NFC champions who beat San Fran back in January to make it to the Super Bowl.
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But obviously that seeding can change over the next few weeks, meaning San Fran needs all the help they can get, plugging up holes on the depth chart to ensure a strong Super Bowl roster is in place.
Ryan, 32, has the playoff experience that GM John Lynch can respect as a former safety himself. Ryan won his Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, the team he spent his first four NFL seasons with from 2013-2016.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Logan Ryan #23 of the New York Giants reacts as he runs off the field after the Giants defeated the Washington Football Team 23-20 at FedExField on November 08, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Ryan collected 13 interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, 2.5 sacks and 243 combined tackles over 64 games in New England prior to his time with the Tennessee Titans. He, then, moved on to the New York Giants for two seasons, starting in 2020, before last year’s run with the Buccaneers.
His versatility was a reason why every team he played for loved his production on the field. While Ryan seems to flourish at safety, he can play anywhere in the secondary, which will be a good tool in the bag for 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
Ryan has been in the sports media field since he hasn’t been on the field, with "Good Morning Football’s" Peter Schrager pointing out that he was on the panel a few weeks ago. However, he has been "steadfast" that he can still play at a high level, and the 49ers will give him the chance to do so on a team that sits as frontrunner for the NFC title.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Logan Ryan #26 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defends during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi's Stadium on December 11, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
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For his career, Ryan has totaled 742 combined tackles, 15 forced fumbles, 19 interceptions, and 13 sacks over 149 games.