The San Francisco 49ers are ailing in the defensive backfield. Safeties Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder) and Adrian Colbert (hip) missed practice on Wednesday, and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is still dealing with an ankle injury.

The Carolina Panthers signed safety Eric Reid to a one-year deal on Thursday morning. They may have had some competition from the 49ers, according to a report from Jim Trotter. Apparently, San Francisco was also interested in signing Reid, but to a multi-year deal.


Update: Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that the 49ers offered Reid a one-year deal this week, which conflicts with Trotter's report.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said in August that the door was open for Eric Reid to rejoin the 49ers, but it would have to be as a backup. The team is set with Tartt and Colbert as its starters so if Reid wanted to return, he would have to accept the role.

"I don't think that's what Eric wants," Shanahan said last month. "I told you the reason we decided to go that direction is because we made a tough decision, but we had to do it. We went with Tartt. We thought that was the right way to go. You can't give a lot of money to backups, and that's what he would be if he came here.


"But, I like Eric. Eric is a good player. He's a good person. That'd be great if we could add him in that role. I don't think he would be that interested in it."

Reid will be a starter in Carolina, so he likely weighed his options and saw joining the Panthers as the better option. The Pro Bowl safety spent his first five NFL seasons in San Francisco.
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