Niners Nation
The 49ers had 8 ERFAs heading into the offseason, per Over the Cap.
There are various types of free agents in the NFL. One that isn’t often talked about is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent. This is an NFL player whose contract expired and who has less than three accrued seasons. The team the player was on the previous season has the opportunity to offer the player a one-year contract for the league minimum for their credited seasons. The player cannot sign with another team unless they are not offered the ERFA tender.
The San Francisco 49ers ERFAs heading into this offseason were Alex Barrett, Jalen Graham, Sam Okuayinonu, Jake Tonges, Evan Anderson, Austen Pleasants, Mason Pline, and Evan Anderson.
According to Jason from Over the Cap, the Niners will tender all of their Exclusive Rights Free Agents, so those players above will be back for at least another season, whether on the practice squad or on the active roster.
Pline is an interesting prospect. He’s over 250 pounds, has a basketball background, and could’ve needed a year of practice under his belt to learn the ropes of the NFL. In Year 2, it’ll be interesting to see whether the 49ers give Pline a crack at TE2 reps.
