Until he came to the 49ers last season, Marquise Goodwin was known for his potential, not his production.
But in his first season with San Francisco, the former University of Texas track standout had a breakout year and now looks to be a big piece of the team’s offense as it heads toward 2018.
Now the team has made a public statement about its faith in him by signing him to a three-year contract extension through 2021.
"From the minute Marquise joined our team, he has shown us everything we want to see in a 49er," said general manager John Lynch. "He leads by example with a tremendous work ethic, a trait that helped him expand his repertoire as a football player and post his most successful season as a pro last year. Marquise earned this extension by coming in every day focused on doing his job and, as a result, he made himself and his teammates better."
In his first four NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Goodwin caught a total of 49 passes. In 2017 with the 49ers, he caught 56 for 962 yards, two touchdowns and a 17.2-yard average (which ranked third in the NFL).
He proved to be a big-play receiver, and once Jimmy Garoppolo took over at quarterback, the duo made a nice, productive team. In a five-game winning streak to close the season, Goodwin averaged six catches from Garoppolo for 79 yards per game — a pace that 49ers.com pointed out would give him a 96-catch, 1,229-yard season.
The new deal is reported by ESPN to be for as much as $20.3 million, with $10 million guaranteed.
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Goodwin, 27, is excited to get going in 2018. "I definitely feel like this offense is good for me in the sense that it allows me to be a football player," Goodwin said Thursday. "It gives me an opportunity to be out there and make plays, and that's what you want in a scheme and a system."
