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With just one preseason game in the books, the San Francisco 49ers are already dealing with a litany of injuries.
Running back Christian McCaffrey (calf), linebacker Fred Warner (foot) and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) are among a growing list of currently sidelined players, and the team also saw defensive tackle Kalia Davis and cornerback Ambry Thomas go down last week.
Thomas will undergo surgery on August 13 after breaking his right arm in San Francisco’s 17-13 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans. After the injury to Thomas, who wasn’t a roster lock by any means, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report named free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore as a player the 49ers should add right now.
Is this something the Niners should consider? Let’s break it down.
Would CB Stephon Gilmore Take Less Money to Sign With the 49ers?
Holder believes Gilmore, who turns 34 in September, would be willing to take less money to play for a perennial contender.
“With Ambry Thomas breaking his forearm in the 49ers’ first preseason game, the team’s defense is losing some depth at cornerback,” Holder wrote on August 12, adding:
“That creates an opportunity for the front office to bring Gilmore in, who would likely be willing to take a cheaper contract to play for a legitimate contender.”
Gilmore was named Defensive Player of the Year after his standout 2019 campaign with the New England Patriots. He finished with 53 tackles, 20 passes defensed and six interceptions that year, which led the NFL. He returned two of those picks for touchdowns. While he’s no longer that caliber of player, he could still be a valuable addition for squads with secondary needs.
At present, the Niners certainly qualify.
Gilmore suffered quadriceps and knee injuries in 2020, and in 2021, a groin issue limited him to eight games. He has been healthy during the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons, however.
Gilmore started all 17 games for the Dallas Cowboys last season and finished with 68 total tackles, a forced fumble, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions. He’s on the older end of the spectrum, but he clearly still has something to offer.
49ers Canceled Joint Practices With Saints Because of Injuries
San Francisco’s injury issues have gotten so bad, the team decided to cancel its joint August 15 and 16 practices with the New Orleans Saints.
“We had like 23 guys miss practice last Thursday (on August 8), who couldn’t play in the game also and most of them starters and things like that,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on August 12.
“It was tough because we like to do it,” Shanahan said about the joint practices.
“In the long run, I waited so long to make the decision because of how much we enjoy doing it. But when we realized we were just doing it because we were enjoying it, and trying to change the monotony. … It really wasn’t the best thing for our team, with where we’re at injury-wise. Love doing that stuff, and love to go out there, but the risk was too much. It outweighed the reward.”
The 49ers are also without cornerback Isaac Yiadom, who should be ready when the regular season rolls around.
“I think he’s a couple weeks away, one week away. I forgot to ask,” Shanahan said about Yiadom. “Ankle, he rolled his ankle in a walk-through last week. They said it was going to be a couple weeks.”
While top corners Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir aren’t banged up (knock on wood, Niners fans), it wouldn’t hurt to add an experienced vet in the secondary to bolster depth. Gilmore may be the best available. Will John Lynch and company make a move to add him? We’ll know soon enough.
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