The 49ers have had special teams issues for a few seasons, so they are ensuring they address that weakness this offseason.

Veteran defensive back and special teams standout Siran Neal has agreed to a two-year contract with the 49ers, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan on Monday night.

Former Bills and Dolphins special-teamer Siran Neal, a 7-year NFL veteran, agrees to deal with 49ers, source confirms. https://t.co/oJnVrXXfol

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 18, 2025

League source confirms the #49ers are bringing in DB Siran Neal on 2 year agreement https://t.co/GszvsE6fB3

— Jennifer Lee Chan – also bluesky @jenniferleechan (@jenniferleechan) March 18, 2025

NFL Media’s Cameron Wolfe first reported news of the agreement between Neal and the 49ers.

Neal, a seven-year NFL veteran, is listed as a defensive back, but he primarily played special teams with the Buffalo Bills and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins.

Per Pro Football Reference, Neal played 6 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps last season but appeared on 84 percent of their special teams plays.

During his seven-year career, Neal has appeared on 2,086 special-teams snaps and only 625 defensive snaps.

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 10, 2024

The 49ers need to improve their special teams unit under new coordinator Brant Boyer, and they’re hoping Neal can play a big part in that in 2025.

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