The San Francisco 49ers have added a fresh face to their linebacker corps, signing undrafted rookie Larry Worth to a three-year deal. The move comes after the team released veteran linebacker Milo Eifler on Monday afternoon.
Worth, who played his college ball at Jacksonville State and Arkansas, brings an intriguing blend of versatility and raw athleticism to the field. Over 47 collegiate games—21 of them starts—he proved to be a steady presence. In his final season with the Razorbacks, Worth started 11 games and racked up 64 tackles, showcasing the kind of production that catches NFL eyes.
But it’s his athletic testing that really turns heads. At Arkansas’s Pro Day, Worth posted a 37.5-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-2-inch broad jump—numbers that would have tied first-round pick Sonny Styles for the top mark at this year’s NFL Combine. At 226 pounds, he also clocked a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash, a solid time for a player of his size.
What makes Worth especially intriguing is his positional flexibility. He entered his senior year as a defensive back, playing the hybrid “Hog” position and boundary safety during fall camp. In 2024, he split time between linebacker and safety, showing he can adapt to multiple roles in a modern defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Worth logged 622 snaps last season: 290 at free safety, 218 in the box, 85 in the slot, and even 24 along the defensive line. That kind of versatility is gold in today’s NFL.
Worth originally joined the 49ers as a tryout player at their rookie minicamp last week. Clearly, he made a strong impression—enough to earn a multi-year contract. For a player who projects as a linebacker convert, this is a big vote of confidence from the coaching staff.
Whether he develops into a core special teamer or a rotational defender, Worth’s athletic upside and positional range make him a name to watch in San Francisco’s rebuilding linebacker room. For fans of the game—and the gear that goes with it—players like Worth remind us that the draft is just the beginning of the story.