The San Francisco 49ers’ offseason drama has primarily concerned one player, WR1 and second team All-Pro, Brandon Aiyuk, whose contract negotiations have sparked a litany of trade rumors to numerous teams, primarily the AFC North’s Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, outside of Aiyuk’s situation, things have been pretty much business as usual for the reigning NFC champions who have been to 4 out of the past 5 NFC championship games under stellar head coach, Kyle Shanahan.
In fact, the next biggest piece of 49ers offseason controversy comes at the hands of a player not even on San Francisco’s current roster, per Aaron Wilson.
Veteran free agent defensive back Tashaun Gipson being suspended for first six games of season by #NFL He is a free agent
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 2, 2024
Veteran Ex San Francisco 49ers Safety, Tashaun Gipson Sr., Suspended For 6 Games By NFL
Tashaun Gipson Sr. was a prominent member of the San Francisco 49ers improved secondary in 2023, forming a scary safety tandem with Talanoa Hufanga before the All-Pro suffered a season ending ACL tear in November.
Although Gipson’s sole Pro Bowl appearance came a decade ago after his 3rd season in the NFL, at the time with the Cleveland Browns, the former University of Wyoming man attained an impressive 73.6 PFF grade despite playing without Hufanga for half the year, and also lead the entire safety group in seasonal snap counts even as a 33 year veteran.
Having drafted Penn State safety, J’Ayir Brown, in the 3rd round of the 2023 draft, it seemed quite possible that the 49ers would move on from Gipson Sr. at the conclusion of the season, which is indeed what happened.
And it seems like the reason for the former Niner’s suspension has been revealed, per Adam Schefter.
Free-agent safety Tashaun Gipson was suspended six games due to a violation of the performance enhancing substances policy. https://t.co/bW67oyoyGd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 2, 2024
Tashaun Gipson Sr. Suspended For Going Against Performance Enhancing Substances Policy
Further details have not emerged as to exactly how this happened, whether it was a product that was mistakenly consumed and then directly reported, or if traces of a banned substance was found during a randomized drug test.
However, regardless, Gipson Sr. becomes the first player to be suspended by the NFL for the 2024 season, just as the league reinstated multiple infractors of the gambling policy this past April.
Yet, whilst the New Jersey native will turn 34 next month, he could well stay on standby for a team – a contender, most likely that loses a key safety at some point, most likely during the latter half of the season as fatigue and injury niggles begin to pile up and take a toll on the body.
This is obviously a blow to Tashaun Gipson Sr., and more will no doubt be revealed in the coming days, but it seems that were he open to it, Gipson Sr. will still likely get a shot a contributing on an NFL team in 2024 (and perhaps 2025).
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