Veteran safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. said Monday that he takes full responsibility for the supplement use that led to his six-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy and that he intends to play this season, which would be his 13th in the NFL.
“During this offseason I took a supplement once, which I thought was completely safe and within NFL policy. It was in no way related to performance, training or gaining an advantage of any kind at any time. I have competed at this level for a long time and have nothing but respect for the game and the fraternity of players within it,” he said in a statement.
“The NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances is clear and I take full responsibility for anything I ingest. I accept this suspension with great disappointment and do so knowing that I have never attempted to cheat at the game. I look forward to returning for my 13th NFL season and helping a team compete for a championship.”
Gipson, who played the past two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, is currently a free agent.
Gipson, who signed a contract as a backup just before the 2022 season, revitalized his career with the 49ers and quickly became the starter at free safety. He returned on a one-year deal worth $2.9 million.
In two seasons with San Francisco, Gipson, who turns 34 in August, became a trusted leader in the locker room for the other young defensive backs and a stalwart in the backfield of the defense.
In 2023, Gipson started 16 games, recording 60 tackles with one sack and one interception after adding 61 tackles and five interceptions in 2022. He also had five of his career-high 14 postseason tackles in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gipson, who was originally an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012, spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, three with the Jacksonville Jaguars, one with the Houston Texans and two with the Chicago Bears before joining the 49ers.
Gipson has 684 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 33 interceptions and 3 defensive touchdowns in 173 career regular-season games.
ESPN's Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.
