The San Francisco 49ers desperately needed help on the defensive line with Nick Bosa out for the year and Yetur Gross-Matos, Bryce Huff, Sam Okuayinonu, Alfred Collins and Jordan Elliott all dealing with injuries this week.

With that, the 49ers made a few roster moves earlier in the week, including signing old friend Clelin Ferrell to their practice squad. Ferrell was in the locker room and on the practice field on Wednesday, as the team prepares for their Week 9 battle with the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

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After the team’s first practice of the week, Ferrell was asked about returning to the 49ers after playing for the team in 2023 and leaving for the Washington Commanders in 2024.

“For me, when I first came here, it felt like home, so for me, it was just kinda coming back home,” Ferrell said. “There’s a lot of new people in the house, but the cooking is still the same, so it feels good.”

Obviously, a lot has changed since the last time Ferrell was in San Francisco, as he’s now surrounded by a ton of young players and led by a new defensive coordinator in Robert Saleh. However, Ferrell is accepting his role as a teacher on the roster.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why I was brought in here was just to shed a light on any of the young guys,” Ferrell said. “It’s a long season, especially with how we do thinks here. We’re a very physical time, or we try to be. It’s not so much just the accumulation of the year, it’s really about mentally staying in and keeping going after it every week. That’s all you can do.”

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During his first stint with the 49ers, Ferrell had one of his best seasons, playing in all 17 games and recording 28 tackles (six for a loss), 13 quarterback hits (career-high), 3.5 sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: EDGE Clelin Ferrell reacts to being back with 49ers after a year away