The San Francisco 49ers announced on Thursday that free-agent receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has signed a one-year deal to return to the team.
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"We are glad that Ted has decided to return to the 49ers in 2012," general manager Trent Baalke told the team's official website. "He is a versatile player and an excellent teammate that will continue to play an important role for us on both offense and special teams."
Ginn has 2,047 receiving yards and six touchdowns in five seasons. In two seasons with the 49ers, Ginn returned 62 punts for 787 yards and two scores and ran back 76 kickoffs for 1,792 yards and one touchdown.
Because Ginn missed the 2011 NFC Championship Game with an injury, Kyle Williams was pressed into punt-return duty. Williams committed a crucial turnover, fumbling a punt return to set up the game-winning field goal for the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants.
Ginn visited Detroit, Minnesota and Baltimore before staying with a 49ers team that has already added Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to a thin receiving corps. With those two newcomers, along with Michael Crabtree back, Ginn might not get a whole lot more chances to catch the ball this year.
"I was happy with my role," he said. "When you're playing a game like this, you have to be a team player. That's what I am first. Everybody wishes they could get a ball or two more. That's being a human being."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
