Getty The 49ers Ndamukong Suh addition never came to fruition.
It is not the first time this has come up for the San Francisco 49ers, but given that it is now emanating from the source himself, it’s certainly worth another look.
Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the 49ers-Packers Divisional playoff matchup on January 20, defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh revealed he nearly joined the 49ers this season, a move that would have been potentially huge for a team that has had some issues on the interior of its defensive front.
👀 @NdamukongSuh reveals he almost joined the 49ers earlier this season!
Imagine that defensive front.
Said Suh during the preview, “I am a 49ers guy. I almost joined their team earlier this year but … It was so well-oiled a machine and they just had a couple pieces they needed to fill on. And I see the 49ers taking care of business.”
Suh has never actually played for the 49ers, but he is a 13-year veteran and five-time Pro Bowl player who is capable of stepping into just about any scenario and being productive. He nearly joined the 49ers last year, too, but ultimately signed with the Eagles.
Suh played eight games for the Eagles late last year, then participated in all three of the Eagles’ postseason games. He played 35% of the team’s playoff snaps on defense, including 48% against the 49ers in the NFC championship game.
49ers Have Brought in Veteran Help on Defense
Certainly, over the course of this season, the 49ers have shown they are not afraid to bring on experienced, veteran players at positions of need, even if those players will be asked to play lesser roles on what is expected to be a Super Bowl team.
The 49ers have added Chase Young and Randy Gregory as edge rushers via trade, and plucked defensive back Logan Ryan from retirement to add depth to the secondary.
The 49ers, too, added veteran former starting cornerback Terrance Mitchell to the practice squad as an emergency option. Coach Kyle Shanahan has spoken about wanting to make sure the 49ers had veteran depth to get through the postseason.
Suh would have provided that, especially for a 49ers defensive line that has struggled at times. Arik Armstead played his first game in more than a month on Saturday, as he is coming back from plantar fasciitis, and the San Francisco front struggled against the run yet again, giving up 100-plus yards on the ground for the fourth time in the last five games.
Ndamukong Suh Has Helped Contenders Before
Suh has been a sort of last-minute contender’s addition for the last few years now. He hopped aboard with the Rams in 2018 and helped that team to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Patriots. He did the same with Tampa Bay and eventually helped them to win the Super Bowl in 2020.
Last year, Suh picked the Eagles, and they went to the Super Bowl. It was back in December that Matt Barrows of The Athletic noted that there were rumblings around the 49ers and Suh.
Kyle Shanahan there’s been no discussion “yet” about adding FA Ndamukong Suh amid all the team’s DT issues. (They were interested in him last year). He said both Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave “have a chance” to play this week.
“They were in the top two to sign him last year, but he chose the Eagles instead,” Barrows wrote. “He didn’t sign with them until mid-November, so we know he: A.) doesn’t mind signing late and B.) wants to sign with a contender. He also spent five years in Detroit with then-Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, which means he should be a quick study in San Francisco. That means there could be interest.”