49ers and Alfred Collins Reach Contractual Agreement
The San Francisco 49ers have finalized a contract agreement with defensive tackle Alfred Collins, according to sources close to the situation. The agreement, which was closed on Wednesday night, marks an important step for the team heading into the season.
Collins’ rookie contract is valued at $10.3 million over four years, including $9 million guaranteed. This agreement could have significant repercussions in the NFL, given that before this, there was a standstill between the league and most of the players selected in the second round of this year’s draft.
The signing of Collins is expected to drive the conclusion of other deals for second-round players. Previously, only two second-round players had signed their rookie contracts: Carson Schwesinger, linebacker for the Cleveland Browns, and Jayden Higgins, receiver for the Houston Texans.
The initial agreements of Schwesinger and Higgins created a wait-and-see situation between the teams and the second-round picks, who were hoping to get contracts with full guarantees or increases in the amount of guaranteed money.
Although Collins did not obtain the full guarantees that Schwesinger and Higgins received, his guaranteed $9 million exceeds the $6.93 million guaranteed to Arizona Cardinals cornerback Max Melton, who was selected in the same position in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
With this agreement, the 49ers, who selected Collins with the 43rd overall pick in the draft from the University of Texas, have secured the signing of their entire 11-player draft class before the start of training camp on July 22. The San Francisco rookies reported on Tuesday for the start of camp, which created a greater urgency for the team to sign Collins before receiving the full team next week.
It is anticipated that Collins will play an important role in the 49ers’ revamped defensive line. The team parted ways with its two interior starters from 2024, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins, and selected Collins after he recorded 141 tackles, 18 for loss, and 7 sacks in 64 games with the Longhorns. Although he was present at the team’s offseason program, he did not participate in any of the team’s organized activities or minicamps due to a calf injury.
