Jerry McDonald has been with the Bay Area News Group for more than 30 years, with a heavy concentration of NFL football since the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995. His all-time favorite athlete is a right-handed pitcher at Division III Linfield College in Oregon.
SANTA CLARA — As amateur general managers put together their offseason wish lists for the 49ers, safety was a priority.
Brown’s running mate since Day 1 of training camp has been George Odum, who intercepted two Brock Purdy passes in practice Wednesday. If Hufanga bounces back quickly or rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha winds up way ahead of schedule, it will be easy enough for Odum to slide back into his role of core special teamer and reserve safety.
In six seasons with the 49ers and Indianapolis, Odum has just 10 starts at safety, and seven of those came in 2021 with the Colts. He was a first-team All-Pro special teamer with Indianapolis in 2020 and second-team with the 49ers in 2022, the living embodiment of the yearly reminder that special teams can be the key to making an NFL roster.
“George is one of the best special teams players in the league, but if he’s the right guy at safety and gives us the best chance at safety you never confuse those two,” Shanahan said. “You’ve got to go there first.”The only sure-fire starter at safety in Week 1 for the 49ers health permitting is Ji’Ayir Brown. A.P.
Hufanga has targeted Week 1 since beginning his rehab. If all goes according to plan, he’ll take the field when the 49ers practice at U.C. Irvine on Aug. 15-16 against the New Orleans Saints. It would seem unlikely Hufanga would be thrown into high-contact scrimmages against an opponent right away, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be deemed healthy enough to open as a starter.
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