Getty Jeff Wilson of the San Francisco 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers ensured that no one else from their backfield was going to drift off via free agency, not after losing Raheem Mostert and Trenton Cannon to the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, respectively, during the 2022 cycle.
Jeff Wilson is back on board, signing a one-year deal on Wednesday, March 23 worth up to $2.05 million per Spotrac.
But the decision to bring back Wilson didn’t just come with a new contract to maintain depth in the 49ers’ backfield, but the move comes with a strong message from the 26-year-old himself.
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Tough Times Have Molded Wilson, he Says
It was Wilson who took to his Instagram account to announce he is resigning.
But for Wilson, being lured back into the Bay Area backfield comes with gratitude that the veteran put into words in his photo caption:
“Every opportunity is a blessing never forget it. I would like to say thank you to my family and friends supporting me. Now to the Faithful and all my brothers let’s go to work! We got business to handle,” Wilson posted. “When you got something to prove it hit different!”
Why does Wilson believe he’s got something to prove? A knee injury late in the season robbed him from sharing the backfield duties with the likes of Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon even wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
But dating back even further, Wilson was dealing with a torn meniscus injury he sustained before training camp: During organized team activities (OTA’s) on May 27, 2021.
The 6-foot, 194-pounder was bottled to just nine games with four starts — accumulating 294 yards on 79 carries and scoring twice…a drop off from his 2020 season that saw him post career-highs across the board. Wilson himself acknowledged in his social media post that the 2021 season was hard on him. Yet he believes those experiences have hardened him moving forward.
“Last year was honestly the toughest time of life but through those times it has built and molded me to what you’ll see! Ready to slide with my guys LFG!,” was the final sentence in Wilson’s caption.
How Wilson Impacts RB Room
There are fans welcoming Wilson back with open arms online.
Jeff Wilson Jr. has 17 TDs in 4 seasons with the #49ers, none more epic than this one 🔥🔥🔥 🔥
The TD machine is back!
Along with the ability to catch out of the backfield plus go the distance when he finds an open lane, Wilson brings a hard-nosed running style that The Athletic’s Matt Barrows believes will be a favorite among new 49ers assistant Anthony Lynn, a man who had his run as an NFL running back before taking up coaching.
“His hard-charging style seems like a nice fit with new RBs coach Anthony Lynn,” Barrows tweeted.
But he added that Wilson may not be the last running back transaction the 49ers make — as his signing gives the ‘Niners just four running backs to choose from at the moment.
Free-agent RB Jeff Wilson reports, via Instagram, that he’s returning to the 49ers. His hard-charging style seems like a nice fit with new RBs coach Anthony Lynn. Still, SF seems to have room for more tailbacks:
* Elijah Mitchell
* Jeff Wilson
* Trey Sermon
* JaMycal Hasty
Whether the 49ers turn to free agency to add to the backfield (names like Sony Michel of the Los Angeles Rams, Melvin Gordon of the Denver Broncos who’s a former Lynn player and Jalen Richard of the Las Vegas Raiders are some of the notable names out on the market) or choose to pivot to April’s NFL draft remains to be seen.
Still, Wilson’s resigning is a welcome sign for the 49ers especially on a day the 49ers gave new deals to defensive end Jordan Willis and cornerback Dontae Johnson. Barrows’ colleague at The Athletic David Lombardi is one who thinks highly of the move.