It's strange to think the San Francisco 49ers' biggest free-agent offseason pickup was former Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell.
And yet it might turn into one of the best deals the Niners could have possibly made.
The three-year, $15.75 million deal sure seems expensive for a tight end who primarily serves as a blocker and never had more than 13 receptions in a single season.
But, San Francisco isn't paying Farrell to catch passes. It's paying him to block. And, in doing so, the 49ers could ultimately get the most out of one of their star players, All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
Luke Farrell holds the key to unlocking George Kittle
In 2024, the Niners lost their primary block-only tight end in Charlie Woerner, which ultimately led to Kittle spending more time blocking than running routes.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kittle was in to block on 11.6 percent of passing plays, which was the biggest number for him since 2021. Considering he's now on the wrong side of 30 years old, San Francisco's preference would be for Kittle to run routes and use his pass-catching prowess as a primary weapon.
To do that, though, Farrell had to be added.
Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, general manager John Lynch summed up why the former Jags blocker was such a high offseason priority:
"He's such a good blocker I think at times you get to the point when teams are pressuring and whatnot, you almost have to keep George in at times to protect. And we'd really like to have George out. He's so good with the ball in his hands. We'd like a balance of all of it, but you need someone like Luke to be able to do that, and Luke was available.
We studied him hard, had a great appreciation for how he did things, the way he did things. It felt like it was just a perfect fit for what we do, and a great compliment to George. Something that will allow George to get out in the pass game a little more in certain situations."
Kittle, of course, is coming off his fourth 1,000-yard season at the NFL level. With the presumed uptick in route-running snaps, there's a much better chance he'll be catching passes instead of blocking for them, meaning yet another 1,000-yard season is in the works.
All thanks to Farrell doing the dirty work.
Hat tip to Kyle Madson of Niners Wire for the find and transcription.
