The Green Bay Packers have spent the last two seasons trying to get several positions on their roster right. One of these, the safety position, has gone from one of the most glaring weaknesses on defense to arguably their biggest strength. Rookie Evan Williams and free agent signee Xavier McKinney are the highest-graded players at their position in the NFL and have forced seven turnovers between them.
Williams has an interception and forced fumble while McKinney leads the NFL with five interceptions.
Indeed, the two new safeties are playing extremely well. The last time fans were treated to above-average safety play in Green Bay was in 2019 when Adrian Amos signed with the Packers.
Former Green Bay Packers Fan-Favorite Adrian Amos Has Been Elevated by the San Francisco 49ers
2019 was a year of massive transition for Green Bay, in a good way. The team rebounded from a 6-9-1 season in 2018 to finish 13-3 and make it to the NFC Championship Game the following year. It was Matt LaFleur‘s first season as head coach and the team added three significant players on defense via free agency: Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Amos.
The former Bears safety, Amos, endeared himself to Packers fans quickly with his hard-hitting style of play. He finished his first season in Green Bay with 84 tackles, eight passes defended, and two interceptions. Rookie safety Darnell Savage also played well that year, giving fans hope that the safety position would be well-maintained for years to come.
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But that is not how it turned out. Both Amos and Savage struggled more and more over the next three seasons. After the 2022 season, Green Bay decided to part ways with Amos. He spent 2023 with the New York Jets and Houston Texans.
After going unsigned throughout the summer and training camp, Amos was eventually signed by the San Francisco 49ers. On Saturday, it was reported that he was being elevated from their practice squad for their Week Eight game against the Dallas Cowboys:
The 49ers recently had to put All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga on injured reserve with a wrist injury. As David Lombardi notes above, Amos can provide some stability at the position and some depth on special teams.
Hufanga does plan on returning eventually this season, though, so this may be one of only a few chances Amos gets to play in 2024.
The San Francisco 49ers Are Also Elevating Former Green Bay Packers Kicker Anders Carlson
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
As can be seen above, former Packers kicker Anders Carlson also was elevated for San Francisco’s game against the Cowboys. He will be playing in his second consecutive game for the 49ers after making both his field goal attempts last week (one from 29 yards out and the other from 55, his career-best). In typical Carlson fashion, though, he did miss an extra point attempt.
San Francisco currently has two kickers dealing with injuries. Jake Moody has been out for the last few weeks with an ankle injury while his replacement, Matthew Wright, has a shoulder injury.
