The 49ers added another veteran piece to their secondary as they aim to reconstruct a group that saw most of its players hit the free agent market. The club on Friday announced Dontae Johnson re-signed with San Francisco on a one-year deal.
Johnson was a fourth-round draft pick of the 49ers in 2014, and spent his first four seasons with the club before spending time with Buffalo in 2018 and with the Chargers in 2019. He made his way back to the 49ers in 2019, and then again in 2020 when they suffered a rash of injuries at the position.
While he won’t likely factor into any competition for a starting job, the team likes his experience and his ability to contribute on special teams. In a group with so many inexperienced players, Johnson’s 87 NFL games played could be valuable. In those 87 games he’s earned 25 starts and hauled in two interceptions.
This is another good addition for San Francisco, but it won’t stop them from using draft capital on the position in the draft. Johnson is a depth piece who’ll need a strong camp to even make the final roster.