The 49ers still are searching for a backup tight end.
The Detroit Lions announced Wednesday they matched the offer sheet that tight end Brock Wright signed with the 49ers last week as a restricted free agent.
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The Lions will pick up the three-year, $12 million contract that the 49ers negotiated with Wright.
Wright now remains with the Lions, and the 49ers remain in the market for a No. 2 tight end behind five-time Pro Bowl player George Kittle.
The tight ends on the 49ers’ current roster are Kittle, Brayden Willis, Cameron Latu and Jake Tonges.
Kittle caught 65 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns last season. Backup Charlie Woerner had three catches for 32 yards, while Ross Dwelley had one reception for 12 yards.
San Francisco 49ers
If the 49ers do not land a veteran tight end before the draft, the club could use one of their 10 scheduled draft picks to bolster that position group. Last year, the 49ers selected Latu in the third round and Willis in the seventh round.
Latu had a rough training camp and spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve with a knee injury. Willis appeared in seven games and did not catch a pass.
Woerner, the 49ers’ backup tight end last season, signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons as an unrestricted free agent. Dwelley remains unsigned as a free agent.
The 49ers were hoping to land Wright, who appeared in 41 games with 19 starts in his three seasons with the Lions. Wright is known for his blocking but he also contributed 43 catches for 424 yards and seven touchdowns after signing with the Lions as an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame.
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