49ers center Weston Richburg is dealing with a new injury issue. According NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Richburg had offseason hip surgery that’s going to sideline him indefinitely.
Richburg has had a slew of injury issues since joining the 49ers as a free agent in 2018. During his first season with the club he played and started in 15 games, but played through leg injuries that required offseason surgery. In 2019 he tore his right patellar tendon in a Week 14 victory over the Saints. He suffered a setback in his recovery from that injury and wound up sitting out the entire 2020 season.
Hip surgery isn’t a great sign for the veteran center who’s future with the club was already shaky. Richburg signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal with $16.5 million guaranteed during the 2018 offseason. San Francisco restructured his deal last year and raised his 2021 cap hit to more than $11 million. The 49ers would take an almost $7 million dead cap hit with nearly $5 million in savings to release him before June 1. Rapaport’s tweet noted Richburg has likely played his final down with the 49ers.
San Francisco already needed to find a long-term answer at center with Richburg now 30-years old. Now that urgency becomes exaggerated since it appears Richburg isn’t going to be available even if the club wanted to give him a chance to return to the starting lineup.