The San Francisco 49ers have added a second household name to their new-look front seven in free agency.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the 49ers have signed former Carolina Panthers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos to a two-year contract worth $18 million. This comes hours after the team landed ex-Buffalo Bills star Leonard Floyd on a two-year deal worth $20 million.
Also Read: More Details Emerge On Why The San Francisco 49ers Released Star Arik Armstead
Late last night, news broke that the 49ers have released longtime fan favorite and veteran defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Needless to say, it didn’t take GM John Lynch and company long to address Armstead’s departure.
The 26-year-old Gross-Matos was drafted in the second round (38th overall) by the Panthers in 2020. He appeared in 55 games over those four years (32 starts), compiling 13 sacks, one pass defense and two forced fumbles.
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Despite missing five games, Gross-Matos tallied a career-high 4.5 sacks for the Panthers last season. Now, he’ll get the chance to reach a new level playing alongside one of the game’s elite defensive players in Nick Bosa.
The 49ers are coming off a heartbreaking 25-22 overtime loss to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58. The 49ers’ inability to constantly create pressure on Mahomes was a key factor in the loss, but adding two new starters in Gross-Matos and Floyd is a nice start in addressing that area of need.
