Getty Adrian Amos, intercepting a pass against the 49ers in the playoffs in 2022.
Regrets? Maybe Adrian Amos has had a few. One of them could well be his decision to sign on with the New York Jets this offseason, a move which has not gone well. It culminated this weekend in what the New York Post labeled a “surprise” move, one that the San Francisco 49ers surely noticed: Amos and the Jets agreed to cut ties on Saturday, by mutual agreement, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
“Veteran safety Adrian Amos and the #Jets have mutually agreed to part ways, per source,” Pelissero wrote on Twitter/X.
Veteran safety Adrian Amos and the #Jets have mutually agreed to part ways, per source.
Presumably, Amos wanted out of New York because he had lost out on playing time as the season went on and because, at age 30, he is hoping to latch on with a championship contender who needs experienced depth in the defensive backfield.
Sound familiar, 49ers fans?
Adrian Amos a Well-Respected Veteran Safety
Adrian Amos is a player who makes sense for the 49ers.
He is a nine-year veteran who had spent four years with the Bears and four years with the Packers. He had played in 66 straight games for the Packers in his time there, and started every game, earning the captain’s designation in 2022. He was a fifth-round pick from Penn State by the Bears in 2016, and immediately made an impression—he started all 16 games as a rookie in Chicago.
But that was not the case in New York. Amos signed on the recommendation of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and played well this season, when he got the snaps. He was behind Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams on the depth chart, and his playing time dried up over time—he played just 62 snaps in the last seven weeks after having played 203 in the first four weeks of the year.
At Pro Football Focus, Amos had graded out with a mark of 72.7 this season, one of the best of his career. His best game, in which he logged a grade of 74.3, came in Week 3 vs. New England, and was the game in which he played 72 snaps, or 100%. That was the most snaps of his season.
Amos, then, can still play. He just needs a new team.
Shanahan: 49ers Must Get ‘Creative’ at Safety
That is where the 49ers could come in. The team suffered back-to-back losses last month, with Talanoa Hufanga and George Odum both going out in consecutive weeks, sapping the team of depth at safety and, also, hurting the special teams, where Odum was a key contributor.
Adrian Amos is an experienced safety who is also an excellent special teams player.
Speaking about the loss of Odum and depth at safety, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan admitted the team will have to be “creative,” at the position.
‘(Odum) gives us great depth at safety because he was the next man up to help us out at safety, which already down with Huff,” he said. “So losing on special teams is a big deal and our depth at safety is a big deal. So that’s stuff we do have to be creative with a little bit.
“Everyone does have an opportunity. Hopefully we’ll see how this practice week goes to who can help us out on special teams the most and who also do we feel comfortable with at safety in case there’s injuries.”
It just so happens, though, that there is a quality veteran safety—Adrian Amos—suddenly on the market.