3 49ers players who won’t be back after NFC Championship loss

Jaquiski Tartt

No 49er had a worse night in Los Angeles than Jaquiski Tartt.

That’s not to say he had a bad game. The safety generally played well. The problem is what he didn’t do.

The interception Tartt dropped will go down in 49ers history as one of the biggest what-ifs ever. Matthew Stafford launched a terrible downfield pass that was ripe for picking off. Tartt let it slip through his fingers. Then San Francisco let a Super Bowl trip slip through theirs.

Unfortunately for Tartt, that might be his final game in a 49ers uniform. The 29-year-old is a free agent and re-signing with the team is not a given.

San Francisco drafted Tartt in 2015. He’s been with the team since then, but he’s missed games with injury each of the last four seasons. He spent almost a month on injured reserve in 2021.

Tartt’s play is fine. His availability is not. That’s something the 49ers can’t keep banking on.

And after that drop, it may be best that he gets a fresh start somewhere else anyways.