Kyle Shanahan brings familiar face to 49ers, signing receiver Pierre Garcon
The San Francisco 49ers had one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL last season, and given that they were 31st in the league in total offense, it’s not surprising that leading receiver Jeremy Kerley totaled just 667 yards on 64 catches.
Even though right now it’s not clear who the Niners quarterback will be in 2017, the team took a step to upgrade the receiver position on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to a contract with Pierre Garcon.
It’s unclear how long the deal is for, but ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweeted that Garcon will receive $16 million this year from San Francisco.
From a financial standpoint, it makes sense for the 49ers to front-load the deal, as they currently have over $100 million to spend under the salary cap. It’s also a good deal for Garcon, who will turn 31 years old during training camp.
Garcon is a familiar face to new head coach Kyle Shanahan – he was the offensive coordinator in Washington from 2010-13; Garcon signed with Washington in 2012, and had a career-best year under Shanahan’s guidance, recording a league-high 113 catches (for 1,346 yards) in 2013.
Known as a sure-handed receiver and strong blocker, since Garcon has worked with Shanahan before, he can act as a Pied Piper of sorts, spreading the coach’s message and beliefs throughout the locker room.
The presence of Garcon could also help lure Kirk Cousins to the Bay Area; there have been reports that the quarterback is interested in reuniting with Shanahan. Washington designated Cousins as its franchise player last week, but he can always be traded.
NFL free agency coverage from Yahoo Sports:
• Ranking the most interesting teams to watch in free agency, from 32 to 1
• The top 20 available free agents
• A list of the the franchise-tagged players
• Some interesting possibilities at quarterback for a change
