Source: 49ers re-sign defensive end Ronald Blair III
The 49ers will bring back an important member of their defensive line after trading away DeForest Buckner on Monday.
San Francisco on Tuesday agreed to a one-year contract with defensive end Ronald Blair III, a league source confirmed to The Bee. Terms have not been disclosed. NFL Network was first to report the news.
Blair, 27, has been a favorite of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh often calling him an extension of the coaching staff.
“If you like winning, you like Ronnie Blair,” Saleh said last summer. “If you don’t like winning, then you don’t like him. It’s a very simple concept, but Ronnie does everything right. He’s very versatile, he’s a very good football player, very instinctive and he is going to do things, he just finds a way to win.”
Blair had 13.5 sacks, including a career best 5.5 in 2018, in a bit role over the past four seasons. He tore his ACL in November against the Seahawks, ending his contract year with 3.0 sacks in nine games while providing valuable depth behind Nick Bosa and Dee Ford.
Blair’s injury proved costly over the second half of the regular season as the 49ers’ sack totals dropped precipitously. The team averaged 3.5 sacks during the first 11 contests and finished the season with four sacks over the five games. Dee Ford missed five of the final six games with a hamstring injury and Blair, his backup, was on injured reserve.
The NFL-mandated travel ban issued this week in response to the coronavirus outbreak might have played in a role in Blair returning to San Francisco. Blair was unable to visit with other teams for an examination of his knee, giving the 49ers an advantage.
It’s unclear when Blair will be medically cleared to return to football activities. He recently posted a video on Instagram of him running as he works through early stages of his rehab.
Blair was a fifth-round draft pick out of Appalachian State in 2016. He’s the third prominent free agent on defense to sign a new contract with the team before the new league year, joining fellow defensive lineman Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward. Buckner is the only starter on last season’s defense that isn’t under contract for 2020.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 11:45 AM.