49ers sign Lions TE to RFA offer sheet

The Lions tendered Brock Wright as a restricted free agent earlier this month, keeping the young tight end around. The team did not use a second-round tender, opening the door to a potential offer sheet.

Although RFA offer sheets are fairly rare, the 49ers have submitted one to Wright, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Lions have five days to match. The 49ers are looking for a backup tight end to replace Charlie Woerner, per the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman. The NFC champions have identified a target.

The Falcons gave Woerner a three-year, $12M deal in free agency, adjusting the 49ers’ depth chart behind George Kittle. A former UDFA out of Notre Dame, Wright has spent the past three seasons with the Lions. The 25-year-old pass catcher worked as one of Sam LaPorta‘s backups last season, enjoying a bigger aerial role previously.

Wright, 25, played 44 percent of Detroit’s offensive snaps last season. In 2022, that number came in at 52 percent. The 6-foot-5 pass-catcher totaled 18 receptions for 216 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. This included a 51-yard game-winner against the Jets. 

Pro Football Focus did not rate Wright well as a run blocker last season, grading him in the bottom quartile at the position. Still, 263 of Wright’s 423 offensive snaps came on run plays. Woerner ranked second in this department, which has long been critical in a run-focused and play-action-oriented 49ers offense.

The Lions tendering Wright at the original-round level cost $2.99M; due to applying the low-end tender, Detroit would not receive any draft compensation if it failed to match San Francisco’s offer. 

The Lions used a fifth-round pick on James Mitchell in 2022, and veteran Shane Zylstra joins the third-year player on Detroit’s TE depth chart. 

Wright would represent a modest loss for the Lions while strengthening the roster of the team that narrowly beat them for the NFC title.