The 49ers have strengthened their offensive line depth by signing experienced interior lineman Pat Elflein. According to a team announcement, Elflein, who had recently visited San Francisco for a workout, joined the team on Friday.
Elflein, who has started in 64 of his 65 career games, is a seasoned player who usually wouldn’t stay on the free agent market this long. However, his injury issues have delayed his signing until August. The 30-year-old missed all of last season due to injuries that have plagued his career.
Starting his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings, Elflein was generally healthy from 2017-2019 but has struggled with injuries since. He played six games with the Jets in 2020 before signing a three-year, $13.5 million deal with the Panthers. During his time with Carolina, he started at center and left guard but played only 15 games over two seasons.
After being released by the Panthers with one year left on his contract, Elflein signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals last offseason but ended up on injured reserve by August, missing the entire season. Given his recent injury history, his new contract with San Francisco likely includes minimal guaranteed money.
Jake Brendel is set as the starting center for the 49ers, having held the position for the past two years. Aaron Banks will remain the left guard, while the right guard position is still up for grabs among Spencer Burford, Jon Feliciano, and Dominick Puni. Elflein will compete for a backup role at either center or guard. To make room for him, the 49ers have waived offensive lineman Briason Mays.
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