SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers added needed depth to their offensive line, agreeing to a contract on Tuesday with veteran free agent tackle D.J. Humphries.
Humphries’ agents announced the signing on social media, saying Humphries was healthy after missing most of last season recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2023 season with Arizona.
The 49ers were in need of depth at tackle after losing Jaylon Moore in free agency last month to Kansas City. They didn’t draft a tackle last weekend and had no proven backup on the roster behind star left tackle Trent Williams and right tackle Colton McKivitz.
Williams missed seven games with injuries last season and hasn’t played a full season since 2013, adding importance to his backup spot.
The 31-year-old Humphries has been exclusively a left tackle for most of his career since being drafted in the first round by Arizona in 2014. He started his first 10 games as a rookie at right tackle before moving to the left side late that season.
Humphries has been a solid performer for most of his career and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 for the Cardinals. He was the fourth-highest graded tackle by Pro Football Focus in 2020 but has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons.
He missed nine games with a back injury in 2022 and then tore his knee ligament late in the following season.
He signed with Kansas City midway through last season. He made his debut in Week 14 but injured his hamstring and didn’t return to the field until a meaningless Week 18 game.
Despite a glaring hole at left tackle, Humphries did not play on offense at all in the postseason for the Chiefs with guard Joe Thuney moving out to tackle instead. He played nine special teams snaps in playoff wins against Houston and Buffalo and didn’t get on the field at all during a Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.
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