The San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback situation remains unsettled, but whoever wins the job will have Joe Staley protecting his blind side for a long time.
The 49ers agreed with Staley on a six-year contract extension Thursday. Financial terms of the deal, which runs through the 2017 season, weren't disclosed.
Career Bio
Height: 6-5
Weight: 315
Games/Starts: 32/32
College: Central Michigan
Staley said in a conference call with reporters that he didn't expect to receive a new contract this offseason, but the team approached him about it.
"I was thinking maybe if I played a solid year next year, they'd come to me, but they've obviously shown that they believe in me enough to get this deal done," Staley said. "I think that also shows what they are trying to do here is keep a lot of the core young players that they feel are building blocks for this franchise."
Added 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan in a statement released by the team: "Joe Staley is the type of player we want to continue to add to this football team. He's a tough, versatile, no-nonsense type of guy who wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win football games."
Mike Singletary, who's entering his first full season as the 49ers' head coach, hopes to establish a younger, balanced attack, and McCloughan is doing his best to provide him with those players. In addition to handing Staley an extension, San Francisco drafted wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the first round and running back Glen Coffee in the third round and signed 26-year-old wide receiver Brandon Jones in free agency.
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Staley, for one, likes the 49ers' direction, even as they decide between Shaun Hill, Alex Smith or Damon Huard at quarterback.
"I really wanted to stay here," Staley said. "I believe in what we have going here with the coaching staff and the whole franchise. ... I'm excited to get this deal done, and now we can move forward and hopefully get some other guys signed here."
That team-first attitude is one of the things that attracted the 49ers to Staley in the first place, and McCloughan said in his statement it was why the team was so excited to sign the offensive tackle to a long-term contract.
"We know what he means to the success of the 49ers, and getting this extension done puts us in a very nice position for the future," McCloughan said.
