Cassisus Marsh is known for the colorful tattoos that cover both his arms, his “Polar Bear” nickname and his relentless, physical style of play.
Now, he’ll also be known as a 49er for the next two seasons.
Marsh, the former Seahawks and Patriots defensive end, was re-signed by the Niners Wednesday to a two-year deal. Marsh, acquired by San Francisco off waivers from the Patriots in late November, was due to be a free agent in March. But the 49ers loved what they saw in him over the final six games of the season.
Marsh was a key special teams player and also saw significant playing time at defensive end. He had two sacks, was in on 10 tackles and forced two fumbles.
The 49ers need to upgrade their pass rush in 2018, so they’re not done adding pieces to the defense. But Marsh will give them a versatile, energetic player to add to the mix.
“Since joining the team late last season, Cassius has impressed us with his unique skill set and the tremendous energy and passion he brings to all phases of the game,” said general manager John Lynch in a statement. “Cassius is a great example of our desire to reward our own players with contract extensions as we continue to build our roster. We’re excited to have him as a 49er moving forward.”
Marsh, 25, felt comfortable in the 49ers system having played the scheme when he was with Seattle. Often Marsh was used at the “Leo” defensive end position. Originally, Marsh was a fourth-round pick out of UCLA by Seattle in 2014.
