All 49ers

49ers Sign LB James Burgess to One-Year Deal

It seems at this point in Burgess's career, if he's going to make the 49ers final roster, he'll have to make it as a special teamer.
Grant Cohn|
49ers Sign LB James Burgess to One-Year Deal
49ers Sign LB James Burgess to One-Year Deal

The 49ers just made a move to strengthen their special teams.

They signed veteran linebacker and special-teams specialist James Burgess to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Burgess, 27, is a former undrafted free agent who played on four different practice squads until the Cleveland Browns signed him in 2017. That season, Burgess started nine games at inside linebacker, recorded 75 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. Not bad.

And then in 2019, Burgess started 10 games for the New York Jets at middle linebacker, recorded 80 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and one safety. Also not bad.

But in 2020, Burgess signed with the Green Bay Packers, appeared in only four games and played zero defensive snaps. He was a special teamer only, and he finished the season on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury.

It seems at this point in Burgess's career, if he's going to make the 49ers final roster, he'll have to make it as a special teamer. And he might have to spend part or all of the season on the practice squad.

The 49ers need Burgess because veteran linebacker Nathan Gerry, whom they signed to a one-year deal this offseason, has missed the first week of OTAs with an injury. He spends sessions jogging on the side field. Perhaps Burgess is Gerry insurance in case Gerry can't return any time soon.

The 49ers have been looking for a veteran linebacker recently, as they worked out Brandon Marshall last week. But Burgess is healthier and four years younger.

Published
Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

Share on XFollow grantcohn
Home/News