Brock Coyle was passed over in the NFL draft when he finished his schooling at Montana in 2014. But, he’s certainly made the most of his opportunities.
Coyle, signed as a free agent by Seattle in 2014, played in 35 games for the Seahawks over three seasons – mostly on special teams – before coming to the 49ers in 2017.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder started the season as a special teamer before filling in at middle linebacker. He wound up starting 10 games and performing well. He was in on 62 tackles in 2017 with a half sack, one forced fumble and a pass defensed. He played 191 special teams snaps and was on the field for 57 percent of all defensive snaps.
Now the Niners have rewarded Coyle with a new deal for three years that provides depth at middle linebacker and bolsters special teams.
Tweeted general manager John Lynch: “Welcome back @BrockCoyle56. Fired up to have you back in the fold.”
In response, Coyle tweeted: “There was nowhere else I wanted to be! Proud to be a Niner! Time to get to work! Let’s go.”
Coyle, 27, became a favorite of Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, taking on a much bigger role than originally expected.
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“Brock stepped up big for us last season when we experienced some adversity at the linebacker position,” Shanahan told reporters. “He’s a selfless guy that does everything the right way. We’ve always known Brock to be a guy we can count on and it was great to see him play the way he did when given the opportunity.”
Coyle’s new contract could be worth as much as $11.5 million over three seasons, with $4.1 million guaranteed.
