The San Francisco 49ers have been busy.
In the last 2 weeks they’ve signed Cassius Marsh, made Jimmy Garoppolo the highest paid player in the NFL, and now have signed center Daniel Kilgore to a three-year contract extension.
“We are really happy to come to an agreement on a contract extension with Dan before free agency,” 49ers General Manager John Lynch said in a statement. “He is very much a leader of this team, and his hard work and commitment to our success provide a great example for our young team. When you come across players who love the game like Dan you do your best to keep them in your building.”
At the end of the season, a noticeably emotional Kilgore wasn’t sure he’d be back in Santa Clara next season, but both Garoppolo and offensive lineman Joe Staley hoped he would, as they both expressed to the media on New Year’s Day.
“There’s a special relationship between the center and quarterback,” Garoppolo said that day. “…We complement each other very well.”
It all worked out.
The details of the contract are not yet known, but Kilgore described it as “a team-friendly deal in which we can go out and get some good free agents.”
Kilgore said he knows some of those free agents will be offensive lineman, which makes sense. The Niners have a pretty big investment under center to protect. But, [t]there’s still a lot of football left in me,” Kilgore said.
Jimmy G had a private jet and a flight to the Bay. Kilgore’s signing didn’t have quite as much fanfare, but that’s ok.
“I’m actually back home waiting for my private jet to fly to the Bay Area,” Kilgore joked. “…[I]t’s 2018 and they just do a Docu-sign, so it’s all good. I was in the middle of working out when I signed my contract. But I would take the private jet, yes.”
Well, who wouldn’t really?
Go Niners!
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