The San Francisco 49ers announced on Thursday they have traded LB Eli Harold to the Detroit Lions in exchange for an undisclosed draft choice. Harold must pass a physical in Detroit for the trade to be executed.
“Our entire organization would like to thank Eli for his hard work and contributions to our team and the Bay Area community over the last three years,” said General Manager John Lynch. “He always represented the 49ers with class and has been a tremendous teammate. We wish Eli and his wife, Kelsey, nothing but the best in the years to come.”
Harold (6-3, 257) was originally selected in the third round (79th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. He appeared in all 48 games (25 starts) in three seasons with the team (2015-17), and registered 109 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He started 11 games for San Francisco in 2017 and finished with 34 tackles and two sacks.
A 24-year-old native of Virginia Beach, VA, Harold attended the University of Virginia. He played in 36 games (25 starts) and registered 141 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 36.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions and three passes defensed.
