The 49ers signed tight end Derek Carrier to a two-year contract extension through the 2017 season, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. The deal can be worth up to $3.3MM.
Carrier was set to become a restricted free agent next offseason but the 49ers decided to lock him up through the 2016 season, after which point he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency. Carrier, 25 in July, appeared in 11 games for San Francisco last season, recording nine catches for 105 yards.
Now, Carrier is expected to compete for the backup role behind starter Vernon Davis along with Vance McDonald and Garrett Celek, who was re-signed to a one-year deal on Friday.
Back in August, then-49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman spoke highly of Carrier who was seeing more reps in the wake of an injury to Celek.
“He’s got a chance to be a productive player in this league. There’s no doubt,” Roman said of the Division III product. “Derek’s got a nice feel for the passing game, he’s got good hands, and he can cover some ground now – he can really run. I don’t like to put timetables on people, but this a big year for him. He’s got a hell of an opportunity this year to really take a big step.”