Safety Tarvarius Moore put himself into position to win a starting job in the 49ers’ defensive backfield a year ago with how he concluded the 2020 season.
But Moore never even got to the starting line. He sustained a season-ending torn Achilles during organized team activities in June.
Jaquiski Tartt remains unsigned as a free agent, and the 49ers did not select a safety among their nine picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Moore is back with the 49ers for one more season under terms of his rookie contract. Currently, he, Talanoa Hufanga and George Odum are the options to start alongside free safety Jimmie Ward.
“He played half a year as a starter and we thought he finished his last five games as a true starting safety, and before that he was always one of our best special teams players,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of Moore’s 2020 season.
Moore started the final seven games of the 2020 season and was expected to make a strong bid to unseat Tartt as the starter last season.
Because Moore spent his entire final season of his rookie contract on the physically-unable-to-perform list, his contract tolled and the 49ers retain his rights for 2022.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers selected Moore in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent his first season working at cornerback before he was moved back to safety. He appeared in 48 regular season games in this first three seasons with 13 starts.
Moore proved to be a dependable player. He had what looked at the time to be a key fourth-quarter interception of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV with the 49ers leading 20-10.
RELATED: Nothing-to-lose Verrett signing could be big for 49ers
Tartt was re-signed on a one-year contract last season. He started 14 games, but the club appears ready to move on without him this year
“We haven’t talked to him,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said Saturday at the conclusion of the draft. “We haven’t gone there, yet. We will see. He’s a free agent. We think highly of Jaquiski, he’s played a lot of good football for us and we’re grateful for that. Talented, talented dude. And he’ll play in this league and continue to play at a high level.”
Said Shanahan, “Everyone knows Tartt played at a high level, and we would never rule out anybody like that.”