Getty George Kittle gets a celebration congrats from Ross Dwelley after a touchdown on October 7, 2019.
During St. Patrick’s Day 2023, George Kittle sent a heartfelt message to his former teammates who were drifting away from the San Francisco 49ers.
But on Monday, March 20, his mood changed to an excited tone.
The franchise announced that tight end Ross Dwelley is back on board, agreeing to a one-year deal. That move sparked a strong reaction from “The People’s Tight End”…by sharing the same four words twice via Dwelley’s IG page.
“The boys are back, the boys are back,” Kittle said in the photo caption of Dwelley’s post.
Dwelley’s Presence on the 49ers
He’s obviously not a game-changer in the magnitude of Kittle. However, Dwelley’s presence has come in handy multiple times for the 49ers.
Dwelley has taken pressure off of Kittle and the 49ers offense before as a rare downfield threat as seen here versus the Los Angeles Rams from 2022:
#49ers TE Ross Dwelley called game 😤
Plus also versus the Seattle Seahawks as an extra receiving threat:
Jimmy Garoppolo to Ross Dwelley for the 38-yard TD! #49ers
The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder is mostly utilized as an extra blocker for the 49ers’ zone read, misdirection offense. Of his 101 total offensive snaps last season per Pro Football Focus, he was in on 49 run blocking plays and went on to deliver three pancake blocks. And that included 12 plays against Seattle in Week 2 and the Rams in Week 8.
Dwelley ended up playing in 12 total games for the ’22 Niners. For his career, he has caught 43 passes for 506 yards and has five touchdown receptions per Pro Football Reference. He has also caught 23 career passes that were good enough for the first down.
The signing additionally keeps a Northern California native in the Bay Area. Dwelley played his high school football for Oak Ridge High School in the Sacramento region, then played his college football at the University of San Diego before being picked up by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent.
Does the Move Complete the TE Setup for the 49ers? Insider Weighs in
With Dwelley back and Kittle energized for it, does this officially mean the 49ers won’t add to the position? Or is there still depth to be addressed?
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle believes the 49ers won’t be finished with addressing the TE position — and that includes Dwelley’s own future.
“It’s likely 49ers will draft a tight end and Dwelley will fight for a roster spot,” the insider Branch predicted.
Currently, Dwelley gets welcomed back to a room featuring Kittle and Charlie Woerner. As noted by one more 49ers insider in David Lombardi of The Athletic, the 49ers carried up to five at tight end last season.
Lombardi also added, “This Dwelley signing doesn’t preclude anything. 49ers still have a ton of roster room and it’ll cost them very little cap space.”
Dwelley now joins the list of 2022 members of the 49ers roster who are back on board alongside:
- Jake Brendel, who is signed to a four-year deal with the Niners that can stretch to the 2026 season.
- Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who signed a one-year deal to return to outside linebacker.
- Tashaun Gipson, who opted against retirement and agreed to one more year with the 49ers’ secondary at safety.
- Kevin Givens, who signed a one-year extension to remain on the S.F. defensive line.
- Jauan Jennings, who tendered a one-year contract as an exclusive right free agent at wide receiver.
- T.Y. McGill, back on the defensive line through his one-year deal.
- Colton McKivitz, who signed the papers for a two-year contract extension that can keep him on the offensive line through 2024.
- Taybor Pepper, as the long snapper is now on a three-year extension good enough until the 2025 season.