The San Francisco 49ers will get a look at their fourth starting free safety of the season in Week 12. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday there is little chance Adrian Colbert is able to play on Sunday. He said that Antone Exum Jr. and Dexter McCoil will compete for the free safety job until Colbert returns.
Colbert suffered a broken thumb in Week 10, and had surgery earlier last week. It remains to be seen when exactly he will return, but unlike Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt, he should hopefully be able to return to the free safety role before the end of the season.
The 49ers claimed McCoil off waivers on October 9, waiving rookie safety Lorenzo Jerome to clear space on the roster. They then added Exum to the roster on November 7, when they placed Garry Gilliam on injured reserve. McCoil finished college in 2014, and first joined an NFL team in 2016, while Exum was a sixth round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
If the 49ers have issues with them, Leon Hall could also work his way into the mix. Hall is primarily a cornerback, but has some safety experience as well. For now he is a depth option across the board, but if McCoil and Exum struggle, maybe Hall gets a shot.