The 49ers surprisingly released core special teams player George Odum on Saturday.
It turns out Odum underwent elbow surgery last month from an offseason injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. That’s how Odum landed on the non-football injury list earlier this week.
Odum should be healed in 6-8 weeks, per Rappoport, and he could sign with a team mid-season.
Odum appeared in 12 games with two starts last season for the 49ers, recording 16 total tackles and four passes defensed. He was on the field for 19 percent of the defensive snaps and 69 percent on special teams in games played.
The safety has appeared in 105 games with 12 starts in his career for Indianapolis and San Francisco. He’s registered 200 total tackles, three interceptions and nine passes defensed.