Source: 49ers bolster TE depth with vet Thomas

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers‘ search for George Kittle insurance has led them to eight-year veteran Logan Thomas.

The Niners and Thomas agreed to terms on a one-year deal Monday, a source told ESPN. Thomas gives the Niners the veteran tight end option behind Kittle they have been seeking for most of the offseason after losing Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

Thomas comes to San Francisco from the Washington Commanders, where he spent the past four seasons, including a breakout 2020 in which he had 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2023, Thomas had 55 catches for 496 yards and four scores to bring his four-year totals for the team to 184 receptions for 1,685 yards and 14 touchdowns. Washington released Thomas, 32, on March 1 in an effort to free up salary cap space.

The Niners, meanwhile, have been on a multiyear search for reliable depth behind Kittle. San Francisco signed Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright to a restricted free agent offer sheet in March, but the Lions matched it.

Then, San Francisco opted against using one of its picks on a tight end in April’s draft.

“We would’ve loved to add a tight end,” coach Kyle Shanahan said April 27. “It just didn’t work out that way.”

For the Niners, Thomas has a chance to be Kittle’s primary backup as he steps into a tight end room that is largely unproven. San Francisco drafted tight ends Brayden Willis and Cameron Latu in 2023, but neither recorded a catch as a rookie, with Latu spending the season on injured reserve.

In addition to Willis and Latu, the Niners have rookie Mason Pline and veterans Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges to compete for what is likely two spots behind Kittle on the tight end depth chart.

Kittle, meanwhile, is working his way back from offseason core muscle surgery that has kept him out of the team’s offseason program. Kittle said last week he expects to be ready to go for the start of training camp next month.

But the Niners have long been wanting to find a complement capable of taking some snaps off Kittle’s plate, which has been a difficult endeavor given the 30-year-old’s consistent production and insistence on playing as much as possible.

“I think we’re always going to be trying to do that and there is some back and forth and give and take with both him and with Kyle and myself in that regard,” tight end coach Brian Fleury said May 22. “And I think it’ll constantly be evolving. There’ll be maybe a time down the road where he needs to take more plays off in order to be the best version of himself. If that’s going to be this year or not, I don’t know. I can’t say.”

The Arizona Cardinals originally drafted Thomas in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. Thomas is a converted quarterback who spent his first two seasons at the position before moving to tight end with the Detroit Lions in 2016.

NFL Network first reported a deal with Thomas was close.