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Through the last part of the regular season, all of the postseason and the Super Bowl, San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle was playing with an injury that would require offseason core muscle surgery.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that if the 49ers want to win the Super Bowl, they’ll need a healthy Kittle. Not the player who had only 2 receptions for 4 yards and had to leave overtime of the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a shoulder injury.
Making sure Kittle stays healthy requires adding depth at the tight end position, and that is what the 49ers have done, according to a report from the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who tweeted on June 3 that they were closing in on a deal with former Washington Commanders tight end Logan Thomas.
“The #49ers are working to finalize a deal with veteran TE Logan Thomas, source says,” Garafolo posted. “After a 55-catch season with the #Commanders in 2023, Thomas returns to the NFC West, where he began his career as a QB for the #AZCardinals.”
Thomas had one of the best seasons of his decade-long NFL career in 2023 with the Commanders. He was one of the few bright spots for the team as it struggled to a 4-13 record, finishing the season with 55 receptions, 496 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
Logan Thomas Was Star Quarterback at Virginia Tech
Thomas, 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, at one time seemed like a high-level NFL prospect at a different position — he was a 3-year starter at quarterback for Virginia Tech and earned All-ACC honors as a sophomore in 2011.
Thomas was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft and played one season there before he was released. He spent 2015 as a backup quarterback on the Miami Dolphins.
Thomas spent part of 2016 as a quarterback on the practice squad for the New York Giants before switching positions to tight end and spending the last part of 2016 on the practice squad with the Detroit Lions.
He spent 2017 and 2018 with the Buffalo Bills and 2019 back with the Lions before having a breakout season with Washington in 2020, starting 15 games while putting up career highs for receptions (72), receiving yards (670) and touchdowns (6) as the franchise made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Thomas Cashed in Big With Commanders
Washington rewarded Thomas with a 3-year, $24 million contract extension following his breakout season in 2020, but he played in only six games in 2021 due to injuries.
Thomas bounced back with solid seasons in 2022 and 2023 and could provide some much-needed relief for the 49ers and Kittle, a four-time NFL All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler.
Aside from Kittle, who had 65 receptions for 1,020 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns in 2023, backup tight ends Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley combined for 5 receptions for 44 yards and no scores.
The 49ers enter 2024 as the betting favorite to win Super Bowl at +550 odds on BetMGM. San Francisco has made it to the Super Bowl twice in the last five seasons, losing to the Chiefs both times.
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