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The San Francisco 49ers have avoided free agency with tight end Vance McDonald, signing him to a five-year, $35 million deal on Dec. 9, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan.

On Tuesday, Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reported that McDonald's deal "amounts to a three-year $19.7 million contract." Maiocco noted that the fourth and fifth years of the contract are club options worth $5.5 million annually.

McDonald will also receive a $7 million signing bonus, per Maiocco.

The 26-year-old is in his fourth NFL season and is on pace to put up career numbers.

Having never made more than 30 catches in a season, McDonald already has 24 through 10 games with a career-best 391 yards and four touchdowns.

At 6'4", 267 pounds, McDonald has developed into a big target whom San Francisco quarterbacks have been using to their advantage in the red zone, via the NFL:

He leads all 49ers receivers in touchdowns. He's also third on the team in receptions and fourth in targets.

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His efforts have impressed head coach Chip Kelly, who spoke with the media on Dec. 2 about his tight end, per Maiocco:

He’s one of our weapons on the offensive side of the ball and he runs better than most tight ends in this league. So really depends on week to week what people have available at the safety spot to kind of match up with him. But he’s certainly someone that I think people defensively have to game plan for.

McDonald might be one of just a few things Kelly is happy about, considering the 49ers are 1-12 with 12 straight losses and an offense that ranks 26th in the league in scoring. However, McDonald was injured in Week 14 and will miss the rest of the season after being placed on injured reserve.

It's likely that the organization will undergo extensive changes in the coming years in an attempt to become a contender in the NFC West, but it looks as though the team is pleased enough with McDonald to make him a part of its long-term plans.

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.