This one flew under the radar, but…
The San Francisco 49ers executed a bottom-end-of-the-roster transaction the Monday prior to the 2026 regular-season schedule release, and it’d be understandable if most fans didn’t pay attention to it.
The transaction? The Niners bade farewell to veteran journeyman linebacker Milo Eifler and subsequently signed linebacker Larry Worth III, an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas.
From San Francisco’s announcement:
Worth III (6-4, 226) appeared in 47 games (21 starts) over four seasons at Jacksonville State (2022-23) and Arkansas (2024-25) where he registered 201 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one interception throughout his career. In 2025 at Arkansas, he appeared in 12 games (11 starts) and totaled 64 tackles, one pass defensed and 0.5 tackle for loss. In 2024, he appeared in 13 games (five starts) and tallied 54 tackles, two passes defensed, 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and 0.5 sack. In 2023 at Jacksonville State, Worth appeared in 13 games (five starts) and registered 63 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble. In 2022, he appeared in nine games and tallied 20 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, one pass defensed and one forced fumble.
Again, this is likely to go unnoticed by most fans. After all, the bulk of the fanbase will pay attention to Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, and to lesser extents, depth options like Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin and rookie Jaden Dugger.
But, one can’t help but think the 49ers leaned into one of their offseason coaching hires for advice on this one, Matt Eberflus.
Perhaps his fingerprints are all over the move.
Matt Eberflus’ influence could’ve convinced 49ers to sign Larry Worth III
When the Niners signed Eberflus to join their coaching staff earlier this offseason, the primary reaction wasn’t well received, particularly looking back at his failed tenure as the Chicago Bears head coach. And his 2025 campaign as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator wasn’t particularly inspiring either.
That said, Eberflus has a knack for linebackers. That’s his speciality, as was the case with San Francisco’s previous coordinator, Robert Saleh.
The 49ers likely want to keep that pipeline going, as Saleh was instrumental in developing other less-known backers into key players, including former Niners like Azeez Al-Shaair and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, both of whom were undrafted pickups.
Granted, Worth isn’t automatically ticketed to be the next Al-Shaair or Flannigan-Fowles. But it’s important to acknowledge the Niners inked Eifler to a reserve/future contract prior to Eberflus joining the fray.
If Eberflus saw something in Worth, then it’s a transaction worth making, particularly looking at the coach’s history of working with linebackers.
