Pierre Thomas to 49ers: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have signed running back Pierre Thomas amid a slew of injuries at the running back position.

His agent, Lamont Smith, initially announced the move. Thomas spoke about the news on Twitter:

"

I am excited for this opportunity & want to thank the @49ers org for bringing me on board. Let's get to work! pic.twitter.com/6QjC4FMFxR

— Pierre Thomas (@Pierre_Thomas) November 3, 2015"

The 49ers made the move after Reggie Bush was reportedly lost for the season due to a knee injury, while Bush's backup, Mike Davis, suffered a hand injury and will undergo surgery. Carlos Hyde, the starter at the position, sat out Week 8 while he continues to deal with a nagging foot injury.

Thomas met with the Houston Texans on Aug. 5 after it was announced Arian Foster would undergo surgery for a groin injury, but the sides were unable to reach a deal, according to Smith. 

Throughout eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Thomas established himself as one of the league's most consistent pass-catching and third-down backs. 

In Sean Payton's offense, Thomas piled up at least 300 receiving yards during five separate seasons. He also caught a whopping 77 passes out of the backfield during the 2013 season, which ranked as the most by any tailback over that 16-game span. 

At the time of his departure in March, Thomas ranked fourth on the Saints' all-time rushing list (3,475 yards), sixth on the all-time reception list (327) and 14th in receiving yards (2,608). 

"Thomas was as reliable as the day was long," the Times-Picayune's Jeff Duncan wrote on March 4. "He fumbled just seven times in 1,145 career touches. He rarely dropped passes. He was dependable on blitz pickups. In general, he knew where to be and what to do and rarely put the Saints offense in bad position with a negative play."

Although Thomas is on the wrong side of 30, he's never been a high-usage back. Over the course of his eight-year career, he's toted the rock an average of 7.8 times per game. Combined with a career receiving average of 3.1 catches, Thomas has recorded fewer than 11 touches per game to date. 

Despite appearing in just 11 games last season due to rib, shoulder and foot injuries, Thomas has some valuable tread left on his tires. Used correctly, he could eventually prove to be an under-the-radar steal thanks to his polished skill set.