Through the first two weeks of the 2025 preseason, the San Francisco 49ers have given plenty of players opportunities to prove themselves, and while a few have played well, it’s hard to find many who have played better than cornerback Chase Lucas.
Lucas, 28, played collegiately at Arizona State from 2016-21, earning All-Pac-12 honors twice before the Detroit Lions took him in the seventh round (No. 237 overall) of the 2022 NFL draft.
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In two seasons with Detroit, Lucas appeared in 18 games mainly as a special teamer (only six snaps on defense) and recorded six total tackles. After the 2023 season, he signed a one-year deal with the 49ers and spent 2024 on their practice squad.
Now, as the former Sun Devil fights for a roster spot, he’s flipped a switch this offseason.
“There’d be days where I didn’t wanna get up because I wasn’t giving the organization what I wanted, but that’s just a soft mentality,” Lucas told reporters after Saturday’s battle with the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. “I had to flip the script, and I feel like this year it’s a different story… I was tired of being on the sidelines. I was tired of being in (street clothes)… I told myself whatever needs to happen, whatever I need to do, I’ll train my body crazy during the offseason. I made sure that people are going to know my name.”
Lucas was tied for the team-lead in tackles (8) and had a pass defensed in the team’s preseason loss to the Denver Broncos, then against the Raiders, he added another two tackles, a pass defensed and a sack to his resume.
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While San Francisco is looking for cornerbacks to step up in 2025, Lucas may have played his way onto to the roster over the last month and earned some opportunities when the games matter.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers CB Chase Lucas explains strong preseason performance