As reported by Jordan Schultz, former New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock is heading west to join the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year deal worth $6 million. It's an intriguing move by the Niners, seemingly presenting him with a chance to prove himself, hence the one-year deal.
The 49ers needed to address their secondary at some point in free agency. They lost starting cornerback Charvarius Ward to the Indianapolis Colts and Talanoa Hufanga to the Denver Broncos. They've always had a "next man up" mentality, but there need to be enough bodies for that mantra to actually stick. Signing Pinnock does just that. He's a flier signing for sure, with upside to be a major contributor.
Pinnock will no doubt be looking to seize this new opportunity in San Fran. After the Giants signed safety Jevon Holland to a three-year, $45 million deal, the writing was on the wall for Pinnock's time with the G-Men.
Jevon Holland replaces Jason Pinnock as Giants' starting safety
Once the news broke that the Giants would bring in Holland, it was guaranteed Pinnock would have to find a new home. As the big free-agent signing, it wouldn't make much sense for general manager Joe Schoen to waste cap space on redundancies. Holland is the better safety, and he'll be integral in leading this Giants defense out of the bottom of the league.
That would have been much more difficult with Pinnock, as The 33rd Team so nicely pointed out below:
Jason Pinnock Allowed a Passer Rating of 148.3 when targeted last season
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 12, 2025
That is the worst among all DBs that saw more than 20 Targets in 2024 🥶 https://t.co/WVA72tynjS pic.twitter.com/MuGLsDUNAj
"It's no wonder Schoen paid $15 million a year for an upgrade over the worst passer rating allowed by a defensive back in 2024. Obviously that's not all on Pinnock, but still."
Even though his time with Big Blue ends relatively matter-of-factly, he lands in a pretty ideal spot. The 49ers hired Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator. He just so happened to be the head coach of the New York Jets when they drafted Pinnock in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. They later released him, and he was claimed off waivers by the Giants in 2022.
Now, Pinnock has a chance to reunite with Saleh and prove himself in a new system. He still has upside, and at just 25 years old, a strong year in San Francisco could set him up for another payday next offseason. Whether he takes advantage of it remains to be seen, but at least now, he’ll get the opportunity to do so.