State of the Roster: Starting job wide open for 49ers at LB

State of the 49ers Roster: There’s a starting LB job up for grabs.

With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.

The 49ers won’t have a ton of turnover on their defense this year, but linebacker could be a possible exception. San Francisco saw Azeez Al-Shaair leave to join the Titans in free agency, leaving a vacancy at the starting Sam linebacker spot.

While the 49ers have to iron out who starts in Al-Shaair’s stead, they’ll also be aiming to iron out the rest of their depth chart behind that starter. Not only will they have a new starter, but they may have a couple of new faces among the reserves as well.

How the linebacking corps shakes out is a huge question mark since it appears every player on the 90-man roster has a real shot to make the club.

Let’s look at the LB group on the offseason roster:

49ers announce re-signing of LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is returning to the #49ers and will have an opportunity to compete for the starting Sam LB spot.

The 49ers didn’t offer a restricted free agent tender to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, but they did wind up re-signing him. The team on Thursday announced a one-year deal for the 26-year-old linebacker.

Flannigan-Fowles became an unrestricted free agent after not being tendered by the 49ers. Terms of his one-year contract are unknown. It’s safe to assume the dollar figure is below the $2.6 million he would’ve been owed had the team placed the lowest RFA tender on him.

San Francisco added Flannigan-Fowles as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 draft. His role on the active roster didn’t emerge until the following year when he played in 11 games with one start. He was a core special teams player and reserve LB for 2021 and 2022 when he played in all 17 games both years.

Landing back with the 49ers gives Flannigan-Fowles an opportunity to compete for the starting Sam linebacker job. Oren Burks figures to be in the mix as well, plus the team could draft a player to compete for the third LB spot.

In 45 games Flannigan-Fowles has 60 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1.0 sacks.

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RFA LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles not tendered by 49ers

Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is now an unrestricted free agent after the #49ers chose not to give him a restricted free agent tender.

Restricted free agent linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles was not given an RFA tender by San Francisco before the 2023 league year began per Matt Barrows of the Athletic. The 26-year-old LB is now an unrestricted free agent.

Not tendering Flannigan-Fowles doesn’t necessarily rule out his return to San Francisco. The lowest RFA tender – right of first refusal – would have given the 49ers a chance to match any deal he got in free agency, but also would’ve given him a $2,627,000 salary for the 2023 season.

Now Flannigan-Fowles can explore the market and perhaps return to the 49ers on a deal cheaper than the $2.6 million exclusive rights tender.

The 49ers signed Flannigan-Fowles as a safety out of the University of Arizona after he wasn’t selected in the 2019 draft. He wound up carving out a role in 2020 and played 45 games across his three seasons with San Francisco. In 45 games, mostly as a special teams contributor, he posted 60 tackles, one tackle for loss and 1.0 sacks.

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National reaction to Eagles earning Super Bowl berth after a 31-7 win over 49ers

The Philadelphia Eagles advanced to #SuperBowlLVII and we have all the national reaction from the 31-7 win over the 49ers

The Eagles advanced to Super Bowl 57 with a 31-7 win over the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon.

Jalen Hurts was 15-25 passing for 121 yards, while adding 11 carries for 39 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Miles Sanders had 11 carries for 42 yards and two rushing touchdowns while the Philadelphia defense sacked 49ers passers three times on the afternoon.

With the Eagles awaiting the Bengals-Chiefs winner, here’s the national reaction to Sunday’s win.

Top photos from Eagles 31-7 win over 49ers in NFC Championship Game

The Eagles are headed to #SuperBowlLVII and we have the top 100 photos from Philadelphia’s 31-7 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game

The Eagles are heading back to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years after a 31-7 win over the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

The NFC Champions will now await the winner of Sunday night’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was 15-25 passing for 121 yards passing on the day, as Philadelphia racked up the bulk of their yards on the ground.

Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell both had 40+ yards rushing, while Boston Scott scored a touchdown in his third straight game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was forced to exit the first quarter with an elbow injury and the NFC West champions saw their offense sputter from theirs.

With the Eagles heading to the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, here are the top photos from Sunday’s historic win.

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Eagles advance to Super Bowl LVII with a 31-7 win over 49ers in NFC Championship Game

The Philadelphia Eagles have advanced to #SuperBowlLVII and they’ll face the Bengals-Chiefs winner after a 31-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers

The Eagles are heading back to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years after a 31-7 win over the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

The NFC Champions will now await the winner of Sunday night’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was 15-25 passing for 121 yards passing on the day, as Philadelphia racked up the bulk of their yards on the ground.

Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell both had 40+ yards rushing, while Boston Scott scored a touchdown in his third straight game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was forced to exit the first quarter with an elbow injury and the NFC West champions saw their offense sputter from theirs.

Purdy was forced back into action after fourth-string quarterback Josh Johnson suffered a concussion.

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Eagles vs. 49ers: 10 takeaways from the first half as Philadelphia holds a 21-7 lead

We’re looking at ten takeaways from the first half as the Philadelphia Eagles hold a 21-7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game

The Eagles are just 30 minutes of good football away from advancing to Super Bowl 57 after taking a 21-7 lead over the 49ers at the half.

Jalen Hurts was solid, while San Francisco’s star rookie Brock Purdy was forced to exit Sunday’s matchup with an elbow injury after a strip sack by Haason Reddick.

49ers star tight end George Kittle was limited to one catch for nine yards in the first half, while his counterpart, Dallas Goedert, logged five catches for 23 yards on seven targets.

With the second half set to begin, here are 10 takeaways from the first half.

5 burning questions ahead of Eagles vs. 49ers in NFC Championship Game

We’re looking to answer five burning questions ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game

The San Francisco 49ers are heading to Lincoln Financial Field as the No. 2 overall seed and with the reputation of having the NFL’s top defense.

Even with elite pass rushers and an All-Pro linebacker, this 49ers’ defense has holes and it can be found in the back four, and when teams are able to physically match up with DeMeco Ryan’s defense up front.

Philadelphia (14-3) defeated the New York Giants 38-7 on Saturday to clinch a spot in the title game and then watched on Sunday evening, as the Niners (13-4) defeated the Cowboys 19-12 at Levi’s Stadium.

With kick-off just a few hours away, here are five burning questions that need to be answered.

Eagles unofficial depth chart ahead of NFC Championship Game vs. 49ers

Here’s the Philadelphia Eagles updated unofficial depth chart ahead of the NFC Championship Gane vs. San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field

The NFC’s top two seeds are set to meet on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field when the Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers.

The stage is set for All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts as Grammy Award-winner performer Anita Baker is singing the National Anthem, and Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins will be the honorary captain.

With kickoff fast approaching, here is the Eagles’ unofficial depth chart for Championship weekend.

Eagles vs. 49ers: How to watch, listen and stream NFC Championship Game

Here’s how you can watch, listen or stream the Philadelphia Eagles NFC Championship Game vs. San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field

The Eagles and 49ers are preparing for a heavyweight showdown on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, highlighted by star power on both sides of the football.

The 49ers are in the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons, while Philadelphia is making its seventh NFC title appearance since 2001, more than every team in the NFL accept the Patriots over that span.

With kickoff fast approaching, here’s how you can watch, listen, and stream the NFC title game.