The 49ers and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. on Tuesday consented to a one-year contract that kept the team’s leading rusher from this season off the limited free agent market. Subtleties of his agreement announced by Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area gave a few clues of information regarding why the previous undrafted free agent decided not to investigate the market.
Had Wilson exploited his limited free organization as indicated by Maiocco, the 49ers would’ve placed an original-round tender on Wilson that would’ve given him a $2.133 million salary for the 2021 season.
Maiocco detailed Wilson’s one-year deal accompanies $2.05 million in ensured cash and an extra $1.55 million in incentives.
Wilson picked the ensured cash that falls short of the RFA tender he would’ve gotten, however accompanies incentives that could put him well over that $2.133 million number. It’s a decent middle ground between a wager on himself and exploiting his incentive to the 49ers.
With signs highlighting Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon leaving the Bay Area in the offseason, having a profitable player like Wilson back in the fold was significant for the steadiness of the 49ers’ backfield that gets an opportunity to be one of the NFL’s ideal if players can remain healthy.
Wilson is entering his fourth season in the wake of joining the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of North Texas following the 2018 draft. Last season he had a career-year and led the team with 600 rushing yards, seven hurrying touchdowns and 10 total touchdowns.
