San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave a rundown of the unrestricted free agents the team signed outside of the building. One player who has been on the 49ers’ radar for some time now is Nate Hobbs, who Shanahan said the Niners aren’t considering at safety:
Just knowing the guy going against him, I’m sure there’s nothing he can’t do in the secondary. But I first noticed Nate when we would go against the Raiders, you know, scrimmaging against him and stuff.
He’s a guy we’ve tried to get for
a while. We actually talked about trying to trade for him a couple years ago. He’s been a hell of a nickel to go against. He’s played outside. And I like when you get a guy who can fill in anywhere and try to earn a spot.
Contractually speaking, Hobbs doesn’t need to earn much. The 49ers would eat #.1 million in dead money and only save $270,000 if they released Hobbs on a one-year deal.
However, Shanahan defined Hobbs’ role. He’ll fill in for Upton Stout at nickel, if needed, and potentially step in as the first outside cornerback if Deommodore Lenoir or Renardo Green miss any time.
That’s different from Chase Lucas’s role a season ago. Lucas saw extended action in Weeks 5, 7, and 22. However, that was exclusively in the slot. Most of his damage came on special teams.
It’s difficult to believe Hobbs landed in San Francisco without understanding he’ll suit up on special teams. He played 29 special teams snaps in 2025. That number was zero in 2024, and only 26 in 2023.
So, when would the 49ers have looked into trading Hobbs? Lenoir has been the 49ers nickel since 2023. Perhaps in 2022, when Lenoir played primarily on the outside, and Jimmie Ward missed much of the first half. Hobbs was only in the second season of his rookie deal then. That year, he played 500 snaps out wide and 106 in the slot.
If the 49ers were indeed looking into Hobbs at any point during the previous few seasons, it’s a sign that their plans leave Lenoir on the outside was the case all along.
