Overview
- NFL Network first reported the agreement, which the Associated Press said was confirmed by a person familiar with the deal as the team has not announced it.
- Gifford played 81% of San Francisco’s special-teams snaps in 2025 (352 snaps) and led the unit with 20 special-teams tackles, earning his first Pro Bowl.
- He appeared in all 17 games with nine starts at linebacker and logged 35 tackles, with local reporting projecting fewer defensive snaps in 2026 as Fred Warner returns and Dre Greenlaw re-signs.
- Under new coordinator Brant Boyer, the 49ers improved to seventh in kickoff-return average, 10th in punt-return average and 11th in opponent kickoff-return average compared with 2024.
- San Francisco has also retained kicker Eddy Pineiro, long snapper Jon Weeks and linebacker Garret Wallow for special teams, while the punter spot remains open with interest in a Thomas Morstead reunion.