The San Francisco 49ers officially announced the re-signing of edge rusher Ronald Blair on Monday. Blair signed a one-year deal last Tuesday. The details of Blair’s contract have not been released yet. General manager John Lynch issues a statement:
“Ronnie is a great teammate, who has developed into a key contributor to our defense. His versatility and playmaking ability along with his strength of character off the field make him special.”
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said this about Ronnie B:
“If you like winning, you like Ronnie. If you don’t, you don’t. He’s just a model of consistency, man. I love Ronnie.”
Everyone in the building loves Blair. Blair tore his ACL on a play in Week 10, where he was bringing down Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. That was on November 13. Even with the injury, bringing Blair back was wise because he is, as Saleh said, productive. For a backup, that’s all you can ask. Here is Blair rehabbing on March 13:
It’s been just over four months since Blair’s injury. The eight-month mark will be when training camp starts. I don’t think it’ll be the end of the world if Blair has to start the season on the PUP list. Getting Blair back for the final half of the season should be the priority for the 49ers if both Blair and Jullian Taylor are forced to start the season on the PUP list, which puts even more pressure on guys like Solomon Thomas to step up in 2020.