Getty The 49ers are expected to sign Ziggy Ansah.
After weeks of negotiations, it appears Ziggy Ansah is finally signing with the San Francisco 49ers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Ansah will sign with the 49ers after clearing the COVID-19 protocols.
“The 49ers are finalizing a one-year deal with veteran DE Ziggy Ansah, per source,” Fowler noted on Twitter. “Expected to be done this week after Covid protocols. @RapSheet 1st reported Ansah was flying to meet with team for expected signing. …An intriguing option with 50.5 career sacks, battled injuries last year but is healthy.”
The signing comes a day after Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas were both carted off the field in Week 2.
Ansah Previously Met With the Niners Twice Without Signing
Ansah previously met with the 49ers twice but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement. With the 49ers decimated by injuries, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Ansah was “optimistic” that he would land a deal on the third visit. Ansah had a little more leverage given the recent injuries in San Francisco.
“Third time the charm: The #49ers are flying FA pass-rusher Ziggy Ansah to the East Coast to meet them with the expectation that he signs after going through COVID testing,” Rapoport tweeted. “He’s visited with them twice but the sides didn’t agree to a deal. Much more optimistic this time.”
Ansah Played in 11 Games for the Seahawks in 2019
The Seahawks signed Ansah to a one-year prove-it deal in 2019 but the results were underwhelming. Ansah battled injuries throughout his tenure in Seattle and managed just 2.5 sacks in 11 games with the Seahawks last season. The 49ers are hoping they can get a version closer to who he was with the Lions in 2017 when the defensive end notched 12 sacks.
After the 49ers win over the Jets, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan provided brief injury updates. Bosa and Thomas are both expected to miss significant time.
“(For) Jimmy Garoppolo, a high ankle sprain is what we have now,” Shanahan said, per 49ers.com. “Nick Bosa is most likely an ACL. We have to confirm that tomorrow, but most likely. Solomon Thomas, from what I’m told, is a little bit in the same boat as Bosa, but he has a better chance of it not being that from what I’m told, but we’ll wait to see. Raheem Mostert, I don’t think it was that. He has some knee issues from the game on that turf.”
Despite being short-handed, Shanahan praised the team’s depleted defensive line for stepping up against the Jets. Shanahan noted the line did a “hell of a job” given the circumstances.
“From what I saw, they did a hell of a job,” Shanahan added, per 49ers.com. “They kept them out of the end zone until that last drive. I know we had some guys who had to play out of position a little bit, especially when (Solomon) went out also. We didn’t have as many guys up. Those guys had to battle throughout the whole game. The players and coaches just rotating those guys and trying to keep them going as much as they could. It happened early and those guys had to strap it on the rest of the game. They did a hell of a job doing that.”
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