Clayton

Geathers

The 49ers also worked out Clayton Geathers, Bradley McDougald, and Andrew Sendejo. They are clearly looking to add safety help, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they add someone in the coming days or weeks. Clinton-Dix worked out for the Colts last week as well. He didn’t play last season after the Cowboys cut him prior to Week 1.

Geathers opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 and to recover from injuries. He’ll be a free agent starting this week. Geathers, who played 14 games for Indianapolis in 2019, was graded by Pro Football Focus as the 80th best safety in the league that season.

The Colts will be without their starting safeties with Malik Hooker (knee) still a few weeks from returning. It’s an obvious downgrade to a defense that’s also missing LB Darius Leonard (concussion). George Odum will continue to start for Hooker, with Khari Willis taking over for Geathers.

Health has been Geathers’ biggest obstacle in recent years. He re-signed with the Colts on a one-year deal in the offseason and has been a steady presence on defense when on the field. Geathers turns 27 this weekend.

Geathers shopped around with visits to the Cowboys and Bucs this week, but he ultimately will return home after being a fourth-round pick of the Colts in 2015. Geathers appeared in 12 games last season after missing most of 2017 with a serious neck issue. He’s solid when healthy; staying on the field has long been the problem.

It means he left his Monday Cowboys visit without a deal. Always injured, Geathers has flashed some upside when healthy. He appeared in 12 games for the Colts last season, his most since 2015. The Bucs are very thin at the back end of their defense.

Dallas did not make the splash in the safety market some expected, but they could still use some help at the position. Geathers has been beset by injuries since the Colts took him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, but he has been effective when on the field. A healthy Geathers would be an upgrade on Jeff Heath.

The Colts will open talks with Geathers this week, but they plan to let the market set his value. It’s possible Geathers returns on a one-year deal after struggling through injuries in 2018. Matthias Farley and George Odum are in-house options to replace Geathers.

It gives Geathers a shot at returning for Week 6 after he went down in last week’s Thursday night game. His presence would be a boost for the Colts’ injury-destroyed secondary.

Geathers was initially evaluated for a concussion after he took a helmet shot from Sony Michel. He passed the protocol but was then ruled out with his neck ailment. It’s yet another injury for a Colts team struggling to keep anyone healthy right now. Geathers has 10 days to get cleared for Week 10 against the Jets.