Back in April, the San Francisco 49ers thought they had a deal done with offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, but the former first-round pick never signed his contract. The former Pro Bowler then remained a free agent until this week when he made the decision to sign with one of San Francisco’s NFC West rivals.
According to his agency, the offensive tackle has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams. Humphries hit free agency in March, but he didn’t get signed right away due to questions about his health. The 31-year-old tore his ACL during Week 15 of the 2023 season, an injury that happened so late that it knocked him out for a good chunk of the 2024 season. Humphries ended up signing with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, but he didn’t sign until mid-November and he only ended up playing in two games for Kansas City.
Deal with the 49ers breaks down
During free agency, Humphries agreed to terms with the 49ers with the two sides appearing to have a deal in place on April 29.
The two sides weren’t able to finalize the deal, though, and the contract was never signed. The 49ers lost Jaylon Moore in free agency and were looking to replace him with Humphries, but that plan fell apart after the offensive tackle chose not to sign in San Francisco.
Why the Rams made a play for Humphries now
With the 49ers out of the picture, there wasn’t much action on the free agency front for Humphries until this week when the Rams reached out. The Rams appeared to be set on the offensive line, but that changed over the past few days when it was discovered that starting left tackle Alaric Jackson is dealing with blood clots, according to NFL Media. Although the team believes that Jackson will be able to play in 2025, it’s not set in stone, so the Rams are bringing in Humphries in as a contingency plan.
Humphries picked a solid time to sign with the Rams because he’ll now be getting a free trip to Hawaii. The Rams will be holding mandatory minicamp from June 16-18 with all three days of camp being held in Maui.
If there’s one upside to signing with the Rams, it’s that Humphries will be playing in a division that he’s familar with. The offensive lineman entered the NFL in 2016 when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the 24th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Humphries then spent eight seasons in Arizona, including a 2021 season where he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.
During his lone season in Kansas City, the Chiefs were hoping to play Humphries at left tackle, but he injured his hamstring in his first game with the team, which caused him to miss multiple games. If Humphries is 100% healthy, he could be a solid role player and he has plenty of experience as a starter if the Rams need him to fill in for Jackson.
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Author: John Breech
June 13, 2025 | 1:05 pm
