5 pending free agents 49ers shouldn’t re-sign next season
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers EDGE Jordan Willis
True, he probably wouldn’t cost the 49ers too much, and it’s usually a good idea to add as many pass-rushers as possible during any offseason.
Yet the Niners don’t exactly have a need for reserve EDGE Jordan Willis, who after impressing after being acquired from the New York Jets in the middle of 2020 en route to a career-high 2.5 sacks, subsequently found himself suspended for the first six games of 2021 because of a PED violation.
Since then, Willis has scantly seen the field, instead seeing those complementary pass-rushing duties go over to fellow EDGE Arden Key, one of San Francisco’s other offseason pickups entering 2021, and Key managed to set a career-high for himself by notching five sacks through 15 weeks of play.
Key has essentially taken over the kind of role Willis would have had, supporting Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa and turning into one of those rotational players the 49ers depth needs.
Both Key and Willis are pending free agents, yet there’s only one the Niners should focus on bringing back.
It’s not Willis.