As they prepare for a busy free agency, the San Francisco 49ers got started a few days early. One day after the Los Angeles Rams released cornerback Tre Tomlinson — the nephew of LaDainian Tomlinson — the 49ers claimed him off waivers.
Despite preparing for his third season, Tomlinson has just one year of experience in the league. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie in 2023, recording 13 tackles. He missed the entire 2024 season after being placed on injured reserve during the preseason.
The addition provides depth to a 49ers positional group that is nearly depleted. Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green return as starters, but top cornerback Charvarius Ward is expected to depart in free agency. Isaac Yiadom, Rock-Ya Sin and Nick McCloud will also hit the market, leaving just Tre Avery and Darrell Lutter Jr. on the roster behind Green and Lenoir.
Before his professional career, Tomlinson reached scouts’ radars during his final season with TCU in 2022. As a senior, he was named a first-team All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. His 5-foot-9, 177-pound frame was the primary knock on his draft profile, leading to him falling to the Rams in the fifth round.
49ers’ busy offseason
Tomlinson is the first defensive addition the 49ers made of 2025 free agency to their new-look unit. Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh will return as defensive coordinator in the fall, a role he previously held from 2017 to 2020. He will succeed Nick Sorensen, who lasted just one year on the job.
As Saleh works to revive a once-elite unit, he will likely deal with significant turnover over the offseason. Of the 49ers’ 23 unrestricted free agents, 11 come from the defense. That does not include linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who the team released in February.
Despite being just two years removed from an NFC Championship, the 49ers are seemingly in no man’s land entering the 2025 offseason. Their fourth-place NFC West finish in 2024 snapped a three-year playoff streak, each of which led to a conference championship game appearance.