Death, taxes, and Dontae Johnson signing with the 49ers.
San Francisco on Thursday announced the 30-year-old defensive back signed to their practice squad after initially being released at final cuts.
It was a bit surprising when Johnson was let go since he spent much of training camp filling in at free safety with the first team with Jimmie Ward sidelined by a hamstring injury. It was even more surprising when he wasn’t among the first 13 players added to their practice squad Wednesday.
Now he’s back with the club once again. The 49ers picked Johnson in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He spent his first four years with San Francisco. Then played a year in Buffalo where he saw action in one game, and he played two games for the Chargers in 2019 before making his way back to the 49ers for seven contests that same season.
He’s become a staple in the 49ers’ secondary as a reserve who can fill in at all the corner spots and free safety.
While he’ll begin the year on the practice squad, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him brought up to the active roster for the season opener. He could even start Week 1 in Chicago. General manager John Lynch on Thursday told reporters he promised Johnson would play for the 49ers this season.
