49ers Close to Signing Another Packers Free Agent Before Season

After a thrilling, and heartbreaking, playoff matchup earlier this year, the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers will both enter the season as Super Bowl contenders once again.

Green Bay made plenty of big-name additions to bolster its roster following the loss to San Francisco, but the Niners have countered by signing several veterans of their own, including Packers free agents De'Vondre Campbell and Patrick Taylor Jr.

Now, with the preseason right around the corner, it appears San Fran may be adding another former cheesehead to its ranks.

ESPN's Field Yates reported on Wednesday that the 49ers worked out several veterans, including safety Rudy Ford. He, of course, spent the past two seasons in Green Bay, but was not brought back as the Packers signed star Xavier McKinney and drafted a pair of rookies to replace Ford and Jonathan Owens.

Ford was serviceable in his time as a Packer, appearing in 30 games overall and making 15 starts. He showcased a nose for the ball with five interceptions, while adding nine passes defended and a forced fumble.

Yet, what likely sealed his fate in Green Bay was his lack of reliability as the last line of defense. Ford posted a concerningly high missed tackle percentage of 8.3% in 2022, then followed that up with an even worse 9.0% in 2023.

Ford's coverage was a mixed bag as well. In 2022, the vet gave up 242 passing yards, an average of 18.6 yards per completion when the primary defender, three touchdowns, and a passer rating of 106.7. Even though those numbers improved in 2023, that coincided with his even worse year as a tackler, so it wasn't an all-around better performance.

It's a bit of a surprise to see the 49ers considering Ford given his obvious shortcomings, but him landing in San Fran could be a good thing for the Pack, should these teams square off again in the playoffs.

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