The first domino has fallen for the 49ers special teams trio of Robbie Gould, Mitch Wishnowsky and Taybor Pepper. All three were due to hit free agency after the 2022 season, but the 49ers on Friday announced Wishnowsky inked a four-year deal to stay with the club through the 2026 season.
Wishnowsky, 30, was a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2019 and on the final year of his rookie deal. While the booming yardage may not be there, he’s an excellent directional punter who gets a ton of hangtime, making it difficult for punt returners to run his kicks back.
He planted three of his four punts inside the 20 in the 49ers’ season opener in Chicago, and only one of his four punts was returned. Last season his 29 punts inside the 20 tied for the 10th in the NFL, and his 32.4 percent return rate was the second-lowest in the NFL.
In 2020 he was 11th in kicks inside the 20 and seventh in return percentage after finishing in the middle of the pack in both as a rookie. His improvement over his three-plus seasons earned him another four-year deal. Now the 49ers have decisions to make with the rest of their specialists.
