49ers re-sign S Jaquiski Tartt to a one-year deal

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reported that San Francisco had re-signed safety Jaquiski Tartt to a one-year deal. The Niners have now signed two safeties today. Tartt, however, is a starter.

Tartt’s injury history is impossible to ignore. The 2015 second-round pick has missed 36 out of a potential 64 games during the past four seasons. There is a reason the 49ers gave Tartt another shot. When he’s on the field, the defense is excellent. There aren’t mental lapses in coverage. You don’t see a safety flying up out of control to fill the alley, only to miss a tackle.

Not only does the defense limit the explosive plays, but Tartt does as well. This may come off as a hot take, but San Francisco had the best secondary in the NFL during their 2019 Super Bowl run, and their safety play was a huge reason why. Tartt allowed two yards per target. Seriously.

I understand the frustrations about the lack of turnovers both safeties fail to create, but sustaining drives on offense without generating explosive plays is tough to do at the NFL level, which is why the Niners had so much success under Robert Saleh. We saw the secondary fall apart in December of ‘19 once Tartt went down with an injury.

Let’s hope he stays healthy in 2021. If not, Tarvarius Moore gained valuable experience this past season. Even with Tartt and Ward on the field, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more “dime” packages with three safeties next season.