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Will the 49ers sign safety Justin Simmons after releasing George Odum?

The 49ers just might have one more big move up their sleeve.
Grant Cohn|
Sep 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons (31) on the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons (31) on the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers just might have one more big move up their sleeve.

They currently have the third-most salary-cap space in the NFL. And on Saturday, they released veteran safety George Odum after placing him on the Non-Football Injury List. Which means the 49ers suddenly have an opening on their roster for a safety.

And that's good timing, because four-time second-team All-Pro safety Justin Simmons is still a free agent, he probably will sign somewhere soon, he won't be cheap and he wants to go to a contender. He's one of the top free agents left on the market, according to Bleacher Report.

"Simmons should find an opportunity with a playoff-caliber team before the start of the regular season," writes Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox. "He's a two-time Pro Bowler who regularly starred in Denver and who had another strong season in Atlanta last year.

"In 16 starts last season, Simmons recorded 62 tackles and seven passes defended while allowing an 81.9 opposing passer rating.

"Simmons' desire to land with a contender could limit his market, depending on his definition of 'contender.'"

Signing Simmons should be a no-brainer for the 49ers. They can afford him, and he would instantly be their best safety. Without him, the 49ers' starters Week 1 most likely will be Ji'Ayir Brown and Jason Pinnock. That's not great. Of course, Malik Mustapha will return early in the season from a torn ACL, but he's currently the only good safety on the team.

Pairing Mustapha with Simmons would be a power move.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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