Veteran NFL running back Jeff Wilson has signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. In 2022, Wilson ran for a career-high 860 yards and five touchdowns split between the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers.
Free-agent RB Jeff Wilson is re-signing with the Dolphins on a two-year deal that has a max value of $8.2 million, per source.
In one day, Dolphins keep both Wilson and Raheem Mostert.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2023
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, Wilson was traded to the Dolphins on November 1st, 2022, in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick. This trade reunited Wilson with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who previously served on the 49ers staff. McDaniel ultimately played an essential role in Wilson’s development in his role as run game coordinator between 2017 and 2020, as well as offensive coordinator in 2021.
Jeff Wilson, Miami Dolphins, Agree to Contract
In the aftermath of the 49ers surprising mid-season acquisition of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, the team decided to clear up a crowded positional room by shipping Wilson to a familiar scheme. Throughout his tenure with the 49ers, Wilson consistently played an integral role in San Francisco’s vaunted rushing attack.
Coming out of North Texas in 2018, Wilson made a strong impression in his rookie season as an undrafted free agent, rushing for 266 yards as part of a deep 49ers running back rotation.
Within Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, famous for maximizing a running back’s abilities, Wilson’s burst and elusiveness proved to be a seamless fit. Over the next several years, Wilson was a valuable rotational player for the 49ers and he typically performed well when given the opportunity. His career season with the 49ers came in 2020, when he had 733 yards from scrimmage along with 10 touchdowns.
Once he got traded to Miami, Wilson was an immediate contributor to the Dolphins potent offense. In his second game with the team, against the Browns, he ran for 119 yards and a touchdown. Although Wilson did not play particularly well against the Bills in their 34-31 playoff loss, as he averaged only 2.3 yards per carry, he managed to score a touchdown in the 4th quarter of the game. Wilson ultimately finished his 2022 season with 486 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns for the Dolphins.
Main photo: Mark Konezny – USA Today Sports
