As the preseason gets set to roll in earnest, former Lions safety Tracy Walker has finally found a new team. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic late on Wednesday evening, the San Francisco 49ers play to sign the former Lions' captain.
The 49ers had Walker in for a workout on Wednesday, and they have to make a corresponding roster move to make the signing official. The 49ers parted ways with safety Erik Harris on Wednesday, paving the way to sign Walker to fill a void at safety.
Update, 6:10 p.m. ET: The 49ers have officially announced signing Walker.
The 49ers place DE Drake Jackson on IR and sign S Tracy Walker. Jackson underwent surgery last season to repair his left patellar tendon. He is out for the seaon.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 8, 2024
Walker as a third-round pick by the Lions in 2018. He started 43 games for them, leading the team in tackles twice (100-plus tackles in 2019 and 2021) and being elected a team captain. He signed a three-year deal in 2022, with the idea he'd become a leader of the secondary as the Lions eyed a rise.
But a torn Achilles in Week 3 of the 2022 season set things off course. Walker made a quick recovery to be ready for the start of last season, and he re-entered the starting lineup early last season when C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral. Ifeatu Melifonwu replaced Walker in the starting lineup in Week 14, relegating him to special teams before he was a healthy scratch for all three of the Lions' playoff games.
The Lions released Walker in February. The move was firmly rooted in a 2024 cap hit ($12.8 million) that did not match what his role was in line to be this year. The move cleared $5.5 million in cap space, and gave Walker a head start on free agency. The 49ers were the first team with known interest in him, as the safety market has been slow but has heated up some lately.
Former Lions' safety Tracy Walker finally finds a new team
There was a lingering idea Walker could come back to the Lions at a cheaper rate. He is clearly well-regarded, and his ups and downs last year can easily be chalked up to coming back from a major injury. Now, further removed from that injury, he'll head to the team the Lions lost to in the NFC Championship Game and is their chief competitor at the top of the NFC.