© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In 2011, Mike Person was drafted by the 49ers in the seventh round out of Montana State. He didn’t play a regular snap in a 49ers uniform until 2018. His journey to get back from the 49ers involved a heavy dose of cuts, and a silent retirement that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch pulled him out of before offering a three-year, $9 million deal in 2020.
Person had started 30-straight games before sitting out the final two regular season games with neck pain. After the 49ers’ comfortable NFC Championship win over the Green Bay Packers, Person told KNBR:
“It means the world. Who would have thought a kid from Glendive, Montana, a town of 5,000 people, would be playing in the Super Bowl? There’s a lot of emotions going through me right now and it’s pretty amazing.”
Of his injury, Person said it was something that got “flared up” and was frustrating because he was used to playing through injury.
“I think it would have been a disservice to the team for me to go out there and play with a shoulder and a neck that’s at 50%, because when you have a guy like Dan Brunskill right behind you, he’s gonna go out there and compete, so, I think it was definitely for the best that I didn’t play these last two games,” Person said at the end of the regular season. “It’s frustrating for me, because I always try and be the tough guy. That’s kind of where I was from.”
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the 49ers will release the 31-year-old Person, saving $2.5 million per OverTheCap.
49ers just informed starting guard Mike Person that he is being released, per source. A veteran guard now available.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2020
According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, San Francisco is signing former Jets guard Tom Compton, who will be 31 at the start of the season, on a one-year deal. Per Matt Barrows of The Athletic, it’s a one-year, $3 million deal.
The #49ers have agreed to terms with former Jets guard Tom Compton on a one-year, $3 million deal, per a league source.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) March 19, 2020
As with many 49ers signings, the answer often lies in his history. Compton played under Shanahan with the Redskins in 2012 and 2013 and joined him again in Atlanta in 2016.
At this point, though, the job is probably Daniel Brunskill’s to lose. He started those two games at guard when Person was out and there were questions whether he’d keep that job throughout the playoffs. While Brunskill started at both tackle spots during the year, head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the NFL Combine that the team was surprised by how well he played there, and had initially viewed him as more of guard. They believe he could play center if needed.