Santa Clara, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Francisco 49ers have signed safety Antoine Bethea to a four-year contract.
Bethea, who will fill the void lost when Donte Whitner signed with the Browns, has been a consistent presence in the Colts' secondary the past eight seasons. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has surpassed 100 tackles each of the past six years and has started all 123 games in which he has played.
"Antoine is a durable, experienced player who has competed at a high level throughout his career in the National Football League," said 49ers general manager Trent Baalke. "He has proven to be a man of high character and is a welcome addition to our team and the Bay Area community."
Last season, the 29-yaer-old Bethea totaled 121 tackles, six passes defensed, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one sack. The Howard University product has 14 career interceptions.
San Francisco also made another move Wednesday with the re-signing of cornerback Eric Wright. The seven-year veteran played in nine games for the Niners last year -- two in the postseason -- and recorded eight tackles, two passes defensed and one interception.
The USC product played four seasons with the Browns before one-year stints with the Lions and Buccaneers in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The 28-year-old has registered 371 tackles, 15 interceptions and two defensive touchdowns in 92 career games.
Terms of both deals were not released.
