The San Francisco 49ers are making sure they have reinforcements at edge rusher after injuries have decimated their depth at the position.
“Source: Veteran edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo is signing with the 49ers today,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account on Wednesday morning. “Reunites with DC Raheem Morris from their time together with Rams.”
Okoronkwo, 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds, played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 on a 1-year, $1.3 million contract.
He was a 5th-round pick (No. 160 overall) by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2018 NFL Draft and won a Super Bowl following the 2021 season.
“Okoronkwo has played for Raheem Morris, Jim Schwartz (Wide 9), and Vic Fangio,” 49ers reporter David Lombardi wrote on his official X account on August 2. “Background seems to make him an ideal plug-in to the 49ers’ mixed system that currently needs adaptable edge defenders.”
Okoronkwo spent the 1st 4 seasons of his career with the Rams before spending 1 season with the Houston Texans in 2022, where he had career highs in games (17), starts (8), sacks (5.0), and QB hits (11).
That breakout season turned into a 3-year, $19 million contract with the Cleveland Browns for Okoronkwo before the 2023 season.
Through his 1st 8 seasons, Okoronkwo has approximately $20 million in career earnings.
Catch @OgboOkoronkwo on #TNF tonight at 8:15pm ET on Prime Video and stay tuned for the full episode dropping here tomorrow! @HoustonTexans
Injury Delayed Okoronkwo’s Development
Okoronkwo was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at the University of Oklahoma in 2017 but saw his NFL career get off to a rough start and didn’t play a single game in 2018 following foot surgery in May.
He’s also about 2 inches shorter and 10-20 pounds lighter than the ideal NFL edge rusher.
“Okoronkwo doesn’t possess the height, weight and length teams usually want on the edge and he doesn’t have the bend or athletic traits to supersede his deficiencies,” NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “With that said, he’s solidly built and plays with good aggression and motor. He lacks the physical and athletic traits that would make him a more dangerous NFL rusher, but he flashes some explosiveness and has enough room for improvement that he should develop into a solid NFL backup with eventual starter potential.”
The 49ers are dealing with their own injury issues across the roster, and at edge rusher both projected starters, Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, are coming off torn ACLs suffered in 2025.
49ers Sign $20 Million Super Bowl Champion Edge Rusher