The San Francisco 49ers’ first free-agent signing of the week wasn’t exactly a huge splash. The team addressed the tight end position by agreeing to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Luke Farrell, a blocker who hasn’t scored a touchdown in four NFL seasons. The Athletic confirmed that the deal is for three years and is potentially worth up to $20.25 million.
How he fits
The 49ers have one of the best tight ends in the league in George Kittle but aren’t very deep beyond him. Their No. 2 player from last season, Eric Saubert, is a free agent. After that, the team has Jake Tonges, Brayden Willis and unproven Mason Pline, an undrafted rookie in 2024. The 49ers always are looking for blockers, and that appears to be Farrell’s forte. Pro Football Focus gave him an 86.2 grade in pass blocking — he allowed one quarterback pressure on 49 pass-blocking snaps last season — with all but a handful of his offensive snaps coming as an inline blocker. It’s also worth noting that the 49ers attempted to sign Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright, a restricted free agent, a year ago but the Lions matched the three-year, $12 million offer. That is, the 49ers have wanted to upgrade their No. 2 spot for a while.
2025 impact
The 49ers likely will use Farrell more extensively than they did Saubert last season — as an inline blocker in two tight end formations, on special teams and as someone who gives Kittle an occasional breather. Farrell logged more than 100 special teams snaps in each of the last three seasons.
Cap update
The true impact of the deal won’t be known until the fine details are revealed, but the initial numbers were that it will be a three-year contract worth as much as $20.5 million. That’s significantly higher than the one-year, $1.3 million deal Saubert got last year.
Outlook
Judging by the length and size of the deal, the 49ers believe Farrell is an upgrade over Saubert and that they’ve improved their No. 2 tight end spot. Farrell’s four years in Jacksonville, however, don’t suggest he’s anything special. The next question will be whether his signing precludes the 49ers from taking a tight end in a draft that is deep at the position. They might have a shot at the best of the bunch, Penn State’s Tyler Warren, at pick No. 11.
Required reading
• Live free agency updates: Tracking trades, contracts, deals and rumors
• Our updated list of the top 150 free agents
• Free agency grades: The good, bad and ugly of key deals
• Top free agents at every position
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