SANTA CLARA — Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir strutted out to Sunday’s pregame warmups wearing his gold, gladiator-like shoulder pads without a shirt underneath. It was the perfect look to not just beat the Tampa heat but to reflect his are-you-not-entertained persona.
Lenoir also entered Sunday’s victory with an interception in each of the 49ers’ previous two games, accelerating his stock even further as his four-year rookie deal neared its expiration.
The 49ers are now paying up for more, a league source confirmed.
Lenoir is receiving a five-year, $92 million extension, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz first reported Tuesday. The 49ers have yet to announce the contract that is expected to become official Wednesday.
It’s not just that Lenoir has started every game since October 2022. It’s that he is proving invaluable as a starter at right cornerback who can prove just adept shifting inside to cover slot receivers in the 49ers’ nickel package.
“DMo’s been a stud. He is exactly what you want of 49er to play like,” coach Kyle Shanahan said two weeks ago. “He came in his first rookie camp and stood out, got me fined for illegally jamming people too hard and putting it on the internet. So, I always mess with him for that.”
Lenoir flashed his confidence — and elite, aggressive skills — by posting an in-house practice video on social media that rookie offseason ahead of a rocky year.
“The way he came back in the (2022) offseason, kind of just possessed to get that job back and he’s kind of owned it ever since,” Shanahan added. “He’s been a stud for a while to me and he gets better each year. He’s having a hell of a year.”
The 49ers’ current regime has a successful history of extending homegrown stars, although the past two summer’s negotiations with defensive end Nick Bosa and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk lasted through the preseason slate.
Lenoir, a 2021 fifth-round pick out of Oregon and a Los Angeles-area native, is the latest among in-house stars rewarded with second contracts, including George Kittle (August 2020), Fred Warner (July 2021), Deebo Samuel (July 2022), Bosa (September 2023) and Aiyuk (Aug. 29). As for in-season extensions, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was a game into the 2022 season when he agreed to a two-year deal that expires at this season’s end.
After producing an interception in each of his first two playoff appearances two seasons ago, Lenoir responded with career-highs of three interceptions and 10 pass breakups last season. He has two interceptions and six pass defenses this year. Not to be overlooked are his 233 tackles that reflect his willingness to seek out contact as a self-dubbed “Hyena.”
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Lenoir is making $3.1 million base salary this season on a rookie deal that covered four years at $3.8 million. He scored his first career touchdown earlier this season returning a blocked field goal 61 yards in last month’s loss to Arizona. His first interception this season came in the 49ers’ Super Bowl rematch to the Kansas City Chiefs, a 28-18 loss on Oct. 20.
Before getting his second interception the next Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, Lenoir was asked days earlier about Prescott’s NFL-record contract extension paying him $60 million annually. Lenoir’s response: “I practice against a $60 million quarterback, too. He just hasn’t been paid yet. But he’s going to break the bank. Shout out to Brock.”
Brock Purdy indeed becomes eligible for an extension at season’s end, when the 49ers no longer have to worry about negotiating a deal with Lenoir, who’s emerged from the shadow of Charvarius Ward and become one of the NFL’s top cornerback tandems; Ward missed Sunday’s 23-20 win in Tampa while on leave in the wake of his toddler daughter’s recent death.
