The San Francisco 49ers have officially signed former Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garçon to a five-year deal. The agreement between Garçon and the 49ers was reported on Wednesday, but could not become official until after the start of free agency at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The length of the contract is interesting because prior to the 49ers' announcement, it was widely reported to be a three-year deal.
On Tuesday, Mike Silver of NFL Media noted that Garçon could be on his way to San Francisco. On Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media wrote that the 49ers had set their sights on signing Garçon and that his familiarity with head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense may have played a part in the decision.
With the WR market still settling, #49ers set their sights on signing Pierre Garçon, sources say. He's familiar with Kyle Shanahan's system
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2017
Chris Mortensen of ESPN believes that the contract will be front-loaded, earning Garçon as much as $16 million in year one but providing the 49ers with cap relief in the years that follow.
Garçon's best season came in 2013 with Washington when he caught 113 passes for 1,346 yards and five touchdowns. That was the last of two seasons that Garçon spent with Shanahan as his offensive coordinator.
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Garçon will be 31 when the 2017 season kicks off, but he is coming off his second career 1,000-plus-yard season. In 2016, he had 79 receptions for 1,041 yards and three touchdowns. Garçon signed with Washington in 2012 and has spent the past five seasons there.
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Garçon in the sixth round out of Division III Mount Union in the 2008 NFL Draft. In four years with Indianapolis, he caught 188 passes for 2,519 yards and 16 touchdowns.
"His skill set is built to last, as his game is not based on speed but on route running, toughness and sure hands, similar to ex-Niner Anquan Boldin," wrote our own Jason Bertolucci while looking at potential free agents for the 49ers.
Over the weekend, the 49ers re-signed their leading receiver last season, Jeremy Kerley, to a three-year deal worth $10.5 million. On Tuesday, the team announced the release of receiver Torrey Smith, who was expected to be the 49ers' leading receiver heading into the 2016 season.
