49ers to sign veteran LB Nathan Gerry

Nathan Gerry is heading West. The veteran linebacker is signing with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia was first with the news.

The 2017 fifth-round pick out of Nebraska had spent his entire career with the Eagles, appearing in 46 regular-season games and six postseason games (including three during Philly’s 2017 run to a Super Bowl championship). After serving as mostly a backup during his first two years in the pros, Gerry started 12 of his 16 contests in 2019, finishing with 78 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (including a pick-six) and five QB hits.

The 26-year-old started each of his seven games in 2020, collecting 57 tackles, one sack and four tackles for loss. He was placed on injured reserve in late October with an ankle injury, ending his season.

The 49ers seem set at linebacker with Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, so Gerry will likely have to settle into a backup role on defense. He’ll probably play a bigger role on special teams; he logged 834 special teams snaps for the Eagles over his four years in Philly.