49ers to add another former Pro Bowl receiver to coaching staff

SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers are adding another former notable receiver to their coaching staff after earlier this week tapping Wes Welker as the new position coach.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan will add former Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin as an offensive quality-control coach, a league source confirmed to The Bee on Thursday. ESPN was first to report the news.

Austin will replace T.C. McCartney, who was named the quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos last month. He joins San Francisco’s former quarterbacks coach, Rich Scangarello, who was named offensive coordinator.

Austin, 34, most recently worked in the Cowboys’ scouting department following a 10-year NFL career. He logged three seasons with at least 900 yards and had 37 touchdown catches, including 34 over eight years with Dallas after going undrafted out of Monmouth.

Austin spent his penultimate season in 2014 playing for the Cleveland Browns, with Shanahan as his offensive coordinator. Austin finished his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.

The additions of Welker and Austin are expected to ease the workload of passing-game coordinator Mike LaFleur, who also served as the primary receivers coach the past two seasons. LaFleur’s title was elevated before the 2018 season, which served as a promotion and a reason Shanahan refused interview requests this offseason from teams looking at LaFleur as a possible offensive coordinator candidate.