Not only have the 49ers survived without Pro Bowl free safety Jimmie Ward, but they've had one of the better safety tandems in the league so far this season.
Ward was placed on short-term injured reserve prior to the 2022 season with a hamstring injury, sidelining him for the first four games of the season. Coach Kyle Shanahan was confident from the very beginning that the eight-year veteran could be activated in time for the 49ers' Week 5 matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
Ward's replacement, veteran Tashaun Gipson has filled in admirably alongside second-year strong safety Talanoa Hufanga who quickly has taken the league by storm and often is being compared to NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu. In speaking with reporters after 49ers practice on Friday, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans explained why he's not concerned by the potential logjam created by Ward's impending return.
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.
“Whenever Jimmie gets back, we'll be happy to have Jimmie, and whenever you can say we're getting a player like Jimmie Ward back, that's a great problem to have," Ryans said. "So we'll figure that out once we cross that bridge, but I can't say enough about [Tashaun] Gipson [Sr.] and Talanoa [Hufanga] and what they've done back there and the instant chemistry that they've built in such a short time."
Gipson, a former Pro Bowler and 11-year veteran, played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, three with the Jacksonville Jaguars, one with the Houston Texans and two with the Chicago Bears prior to signing a one-year contract with the 49ers before training camp. The veteran has taken the 23-year-old Hufanga under his wing, much to his defensive coordinator's appreciation.
"It's just what the veterans do in this league," Ryans explained. "The league has always been about giving back, so the younger players now are standing on the shoulders of the guys who came before us, whether there were guys fighting for free agency to get guys to the point where they're getting the contracts they're getting now."
Hufanga himself is eager to learn and is known for asking a lot of questions, which has played an important role in his quick development.
San Francisco 49ers
"That's what separates Huf, and that's why he's sticking out amongst everybody is because he asks those questions," Ryans added. "He's processing everything throughout the week, so when you see him on Sunday, he can cut it loose, and that's what everybody's seen, and that's why he's been exciting to watch these first three weeks just because of those questions.”
RELATED: Kittle expects 'tighter' concussion protocols after Tua injury
When Ward returns, the 49ers can feel confident in the safety position with what they have seen from Hufanga, Gipson and even fourth-year safety Tarvarius Moore.
Until then, the 49ers' current safety tandem will have one more test against quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams' offense on "Monday Night Football" in Week 4.