Even though Tom Brady was not enticed to come out of retirement by the San Francisco 49ers, the team did manage to sign one of his former Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates.
By signing Logan Ryan on Tuesday, the 49ers increased the depth of their defensive backfield, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. After winning two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in 2015 and 2016, Ryan, 32, spent the next seven years playing for various teams in the NFL.
Ryan did not find a place in free agency prior to the current season, despite having most recently played for the Buccaneers in 2022. Brady, who spent the last three seasons of his career in Tampa following his 2020 free agency departure from New England, was the reason Ryan joined the Buccaneers last year.
Ryan has 19 interceptions in his career along with 13 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, 98 pass deflections, and 742 tackles. Last season, Ryan tallied one interception, 37 tackles, and a forced fumble in six games played amid a foot injury.
Source: Long-time versatile DB Logan Ryan has signed with the #49ers, a potential big-time addition for December and their playoff run. Most recently with the #Bucs and #Giants, Ryan lands in SF. pic.twitter.com/162KOoIfzW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 5, 2023
With very few injuries throughout his career, Ryan has proven to be resilient. With the Tennessee Titans in 2017, he suffered a concussion and an ankle sprain, but he missed no time. He missed the final two games of the 2018 Titans season due to a fibula fracture.
Ryan played four seasons in Foxborough before leaving for Tennessee in free agency. In 2013, the Patriots selected him in the third round of the NFL Draft out of Rutgers University. In 2020, Ryan signed a contract with the New York Giants following three seasons with the Titans.
Brady and Ryan were teammates in New England for four seasons. Though Ryan’s reunion in Tampa did not result in another Super Bowl ring, he still has another opportunity with the 49ers.
San Francisco could land the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and a bye with five-straight wins to end the season coupled with another Philadelphia Eagles loss. The 49ers increased their chances to the top seed with a 42-19 win against the Eagles in Week 13.
Buccaneers Secondary Still on the Mend
This season, the Bucs secondary has sustained a fair share of injuries; it is unclear when exactly this group will return to full strength.
Week 13 saw Tampa Bay cornerback Jamal Dean miss his second straight game; he is still questionable. With 36 tackles and three pass deflections so far this season, Dean has been inconsistent.
In the two games Dean missed, second-year cornerback Zyon McCollum has 13 tackles. This season, McCollum has racked up 31 tackles and five pass deflections.
Antoine Winfield Jr. Brightest Spot in Buccaneers Secondary
Antoine Winfield Jr., a fourth-year safety, has been the Bucs secondary’s best player thus far this year.
This season, the former star of the Minnesota Golden Gophers has racked up 53 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and eleven pass deflections. In Week 13, Winfield’s most recent play—a late interception—helped the team defeat the Carolina Panthers 21–18.
For that game, he was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award by the team and won NFC Defensive Player of the Week. After that, the Buccaneers will have to figure out how to pay Winfield because in March 2024 he might become a free agent.
Winfield has racked up 351 tackles, 8 forced fumbles, 12 sacks, 6 interceptions, and 26 pass deflections in just four seasons.
