Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Monday, June 23rd, 2025
“Another, the other guy that I think is going to be a starter when the season begins is Jason Pinnock,” Maicocco added. “The 49ers feel like they got him at a really good price, a one-year deal, $2.2 million. Now, Pinnock is somebody that entered the NFL as a draft pick of Robert Saleh and the New York Jets. He played for the Jets his rookie season, and then in August of year two, he gets released (waived, I should say). Robert Saleh told him, ‘If you clear waivers, we would love you back on the practice squad.’ He did not clear waivers. The New York Giants claimed him. And over the past two seasons, he started 32 games for the Giants.
“Now, I talked to him last week, and he’s really excited about this opportunity. He says when he signed with the 49ers, he didn’t even know about Mustapha’s injury. But the door is wide open, and the expectation is that he will be a starter. He says he sees himself as a starter with still a lot of upside. He’s got it all. When you look at his size, the speed, the football intelligence, everything else, the passion for the game. I think the 49ers may have got themselves a pretty good player in free agency, somebody that did not have, you know, the opportunity to sign a big-time contract with another team, a multi-year deal. But when I asked him about where he can take his game in year five in the NFL, what he pointed to specifically are the takeaways, the big plays. It’s the interceptions, it’s the forced fumbles, it’s the fumble recoveries. And so over those two seasons as the full-time Giants starter at safety, only two interceptions and two forced fumbles. However, he did have 85 tackles per season. and five sacks over that time. So he can make plays.
“Like I said, he’s got the size, the speed, everything to go ahead. And he’s a converted cornerback, too. So he’s a guy who could make a really big impact, and I think a very much under-the-radar signing for the 49ers. So keep an eye on Jason Pinnock. I expect him to be a starter week one, and the door’s wide open for him to be a starter throughout the season, even when Mustapha returns…..“Another veteran that they picked up was Richie Grant, who got off to a good start with the Falcons,” Maiocco continued. “He started 32 games for them over the ‘22 and ‘23 seasons. Three interceptions during that time. But he only had the one start last year and really turned into a special-teamer with the Falcons. So I think the 49ers bring him in primarily as special teams, but it was Grant and Pinnock who were running with the ones during the 49ers’ offseason program. So keep an eye on Richie Grant, as well.”