4 former SF 49ers players who could return in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Offensive Lineman Daniel Kilgore, Kansas City Chiefs
It would have been smart if San Francisco inked veteran interior offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore at some point early in 2020, particularly in the wake of all the injuries the team had at center.
Kilgore eventually signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs, his latest stop after the Niners traded him to the Miami Dolphins in 2018 not long after signing him to a new deal that year.
Instead of reuniting with Kilgore in 2020, the SF 49ers were forced to undergo a revolving door of centers in the wake of the starter, Weston Richburg, missing all of the season following his 2019 knee injury. Backup center Ben Garland, a 2021 free agent, missed the bulk of the year with a calf injury. And the Niners’ two backup options, Hroniss Grasu and Daniel Brunskill, weren’t particularly impressive as third-string options.
With Richburg’s future uncertain, and Garland potentially gone in 2021, getting the 33-year-old Kilgore back as a solid backup option with starting-caliber ability would be smart.
Remember, Kilgore had an established rapport late in 2017 with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and it’s possible San Francisco looks to reestablish that again.