Luke Gifford will remain in San Francisco next season. The veteran linebacker and special teams ace has agreed to a new 49ers deal, Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. 
This is a two-year deal worth $5.3MM, per the report. Gifford’s most recent San Francisco pact was for one year and $1.8MM. His strong showing in 2025 has landed him a notable raise.
Gifford played out his rookie contract with the Titans and he spent 2023 and ’24 as a member of the Titans. During that span, the 30-year-old played sparingly on defense but was a special teams mainstay. In his debut 49ers campaign, Gifford earned a Pro Bowl nod for his strong third phase work. He will no doubt be expected to remain a high-end contributor in that regard moving forward.
Due to the 49ers’ injury situation at the linebacker spot, however, Gifford wound up making nine starts in 2025. The Nebraska product handled 172 defensive snaps, the second-highest total of his career. He made 35 tackles, second only to his total from the year before in Tennessee. A full-time gig should not be expected in this case, but Gifford will offer San Francisco with a familiar backup option on defense if needed.
The 49ers have been busy with respect to defensive additions in recent days. That includes a reunion with Dre Greenlaw. He and Fred Warner will be counted on to handle a heavy workload, with the likes of Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune also in the fold as well. Gifford will give the team veteran depth at the second level.
San Francisco entered Friday with roughly $27MM in cap space. As a result, this deal will not make a major impact on the team’s other roster-building moves leading up to the draft.