Getty Bill Belichick drafted Logan Ryan in 2013.
The San Francisco 49ers will add a player from the New England Patriots dynasty after all — just not Tom Brady despite persistent rumors since 2022.
Instead, the 49ers bolstered its defensive backfield depth on Tuesday by signing Logan Ryan according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Ryan, 32, won two Super Bowls with New England in 2015 and 2016 before he bounced around the league during the past seven years.
He most recently played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2022 season, but Ryan didn’t find a landing spot in free agency before the current season. Ryan joined the Buccaneers last year because of Brady, who played the final three seasons of his career in Tampa after a 2020 free agency departure from New England.
Ryan has 19 interceptions in his career along with 13 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, 98 pass deflections, and 742 tackles. Last season, Ryan tallied one interception, 37 tackles, and a forced fumble in six games played amid a foot injury.
Ryan has been durable throughout his career with only a few injuries. He endured an ankle sprain and concussion in 2017 with the Tennessee Titans, but he didn’t miss any time. His fibula fracture in 2018 cost him the last two games of that season with the Titans.
A third-round NFL Draft pick by the Patriots out of Rutgers in 2013, Ryan played four seasons in Foxborough before he left for Tennessee in free agency. After three seasons with the Titans, Ryan signed with the New York Giants in 2020.
Ryan played four seasons with Brady in New England. Reuniting in Tampa didn’t lead to another Super Bowl ring, but Ryan has another shot with the 49ers.
San Francisco could land the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and a bye with five-straight wins to end the season coupled with another Philadelphia Eagles loss. The 49ers increased their chances to the top seed with a 42-19 win against the Eagles in Week 13.
Patriots Secondary Still Riddled With Injuries
New England certainly could have used a comeback from Ryan amid a slew of injuries in the secondary. However, selling a 2-10 team to a free agent is a tall task.
The Patriots have three defensive backs on injured reserve: Marcus Jones (shoulder), Isaiah Bolden (concussion), and Christian Gonzalez (shoulder). For New England, Gonzalez left a big void after a promising start to his rookie season with 14 tackles, an interception and three pass deflections in four games.
Similarly, Jones had a solid season going with five tackles and a fumble recovery in two games before injury derailed his season. Bolden never played a snap this season after he went on injured reserve before the regular season after a serious head injury in the preseason.
Bill Belichick Reacts to Jabrill Peppers Statement
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers arguably made the strongest commentary from the secondary if not the entire team this season. Peppers told New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley “you lucky we [expletive]” after a 10-7 loss in Week 12.
“You’d have to talk to Jabrill about that,” Belichick said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday. “I think he made some comments on it. There’s things that get said in frustrating moments. We’ve all had that.
“Jabrill works hard. He’s a hard-working kid. He’s out there every day and works hard to communicate well, be a good teammate, compete and help his team. I think everybody respects that. I certainly do,” Belichick added.