The 49ers currently have a salary cap range of around $10 million in 2023, which should give them some flexibility for mid-season maneuvers as the 2023 season approaches.
And with unused money carried over to future years, the 49ers’ current cap situation also depends heavily on how they navigate the crowded waters of 2024, where they already have a whopping $271.5 million in liabilities – a total they will almost certainly need to downsize to fit under this season’s cap (which will not be set until January next year at the earliest).
So how are the 49ers spending their limited cap space? We’ve done this exercise twice before, in 2020 and 2022. The 49ers’ spending distribution has evolved over time, but some of their behaviors have clearly morphed into trends worth exploring now.
The off-season downtime is a good time to take a full inventory. Here’s a breakdown of the 49ers’ positions by position:
The 49ers spend most of their budget, a whopping 27.7 percent, on the defensive line. That might not come as a surprise, but it’s the biggest immediate attention grabber.
Other notable associations are not as obvious visually, but this is a zero-sum game – the pie is finite in size – and they can be identified if we add more context. Below are the 49ers’ total spend by position groups, as well as how each team ranks compared to the rest of the NFL.
49ers 2023 cap spending breakdown
| group | Money | NFL rank |
|---|---|---|
$16.3 | #14 | |
$15.3 | #5 | |
$22.0 | #24 | |
$23.6 | #1 | |
$43.9 | #17 | |
$66.4 | #1 | |
$23.3 | #19 | |
$23.1 | #31 | |
$5.5 | #21 |
Let’s zoom in further.
quarterback
Players in squad: 4
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $16.3 million (No. 15)
NFL average: $17.3 million
Notably, the 49ers have four quarterbacks under contract — including two No. 3 picks — for an overall cap hit of just about $16 million. Trey Lance’s $9.3 million figure makes up the majority of this; Likely starter Brock Purdy pays an incredibly cheap $889,253. It turns out that getting results from the very last pick of the NFL draft is a huge benefit to a team’s bookkeeping.
At the time of Jimmy Garoppolo, the QB position accounted for about 14 percent of the 49ers’ spending. It’s now down to just 6.8 percent – and the team could have numerous viable options at that position. That’s the 49ers’ hope, a season after they had several capable quarterbacks but were still short of them due to injuries.
Running back/fullback
Players in squad: 8
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $15.3 million (No. 5)
NFL average: $11.2 million
The quarterback’s smaller financial footprint has allowed the 49ers to increase spending elsewhere. Until they restructured Christian McCaffrey’s contract earlier this offseason to lower the cap from $12 million to $3.4 million, the 49ers led the NFL in backfield spending. Even with the 2023 reduction, the 49ers rank 5th.
The tremendous success of the 49ers’ offense with McCaffrey on the team underscores that coach Kyle Shanahan’s running back on offense occupies a prime position — at least compared to the rest of the league. A Star Player is more likely to excel at their multiple responsibilities, and Star Players tend to come with a higher price tag. Ditto for the fullback, where Kyle Juszczyk’s $6.6 million cap hit is the NFL’s highest.
wide receiver
Players in squad: 11
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $22 million (No. 24)
NFL average: $28.2 million
The post-loaded deal Deebo Samuel signed in 2021 only has a cap of $8.7 million in 2022. That number jumps to $28.6 million in 2024, so the 49ers’ spending department will soon change drastically — especially if Brandon Aiyuk (fixed at $12 million) gets a fifth-year option pay raise in 2024 ) also re-signs with the team.
But for now, the 49ers have kept their spending under control at a potentially expensive position. And that’s possible, at least in part, thanks to the adaptability of their other skill positions — if running backs and tight ends can also deliver significant receiving power, the money can be allocated to offense more efficiently.
Close end
Players in squad: 6
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $23.6 million (No. 1)
NFL average: $11.9 million
George Kittle’s $18 million cap hit is the highest ever by a tight end. Thanks to this, the 49ers spend more money than any other team in the league for this position group. The rest of the hall – starring Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley, Troy Fumagalli and newcomers Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis – is available at bargain prices.
The 49ers would therefore appreciate one of these players emerging as a truly menacing No. 2 against Kittle, which is unlikely to go any cheaper (his cap hit is expected to grow to $19.4 million in 2024).
offensive line
Players in squad: 16
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $43.9 million (No. 17)
NFL average: $44 million
The big effort here comes from star left tackle Trent Williams, whose $27.2 million cap hit is the biggest on the entire team. No other 49ers O-lineman has a cap tally more than $2.4 million as of 2023 owned by center Jake Brendel. That’s a notable gap, and one that keeps the 49ers’ total O-line spending just below the league average, despite their record-breaking commitment at Williams.
Will the strategy work? Replacing Mike McGlinchey, who signed an expensive contract with Denver, with Colton McKivitz’s $1.5 million cap hit at right tackle is a move that clarifies the 49ers’ philosophy — at least in the short term. They believe they can enjoy production at bargain prices from local prospects. Another of these could be added to the system next year when the 49ers are expected to have a first-round draft pick for the first time since 2021.
line of defense
Players in squad: 16
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $66.4 million (No. 1)
NFL average: $38.2 million
Yes, the 49ers’ spending on the D-Line is high now, but it could be even higher in 2024. Coveted free-agent signing Javon Hargrave has an afterthought – his cap hits going from $6.6 million in 2023 to $15.5 million in 2024 to $26.6 million in 2024 Year 2025 – and Nick Bosa is expected to sign a mega deal next month. Bosa’s new contract was supposed to lower his $17.9 million 2023 amount as he spreads the cap over the next few years, but the 49ers’ long-term D-Line liabilities will inevitably increase.
And that’s how the 49ers work. They believe in big D-Line investments and are willing to spend big to influence players. The team would definitely want a return to 2021 form from Arik Armstead, who was injured for much of 2022 and whose cap hit is now $23.8 million — the highest on defense.
Hargrave’s signing saw the 49ers overtake Washington ($65.4 million) and Cincinnati ($63.7 million) in D-line spending. For further consideration, the fourth-place Giants are at the bottom with $53.6 million.
linebacker
Players in squad: 9
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $23.3 million (No. 19)
NFL average: $26.4 million
In Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, the 49ers have arguably the best linebacker duo in football — but they rank 19th in total spending for that position, even though both players are on their second contracts. The restructuring of Warner’s deal to push big-cap bonds into the future (its figure rising from $9 million in 2023 to $25.6 million in 2024) has made this possible in the short term. Greenlaw’s deal — which seems like a steal at a top price of $5.5 million — also helped, as did the team’s decision to allow third linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair into free agency.
The 49ers want to replace him with players with cheap rookie deals. With that in mind, they picked two linebackers, Dee Winters and Jalen Graham. With this position facing the big bill, it’s imperative for the 49ers to continue the productive cycle of linebacker development that began with Warner’s selection in 2018.
defensive back
Players in squad: 17
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $23.1 million (No. 31)
NFL average: $36.9 million
The NFL is on a spending spree in the secondary school, but the 49ers aren’t following that trend. In 2022, the 49ers’ $23.6 million allotment for the secondary ranked No. 13. Here in 2023, their number is essentially unchanged ($23.1 million), but it now sits up 31st – only ahead of the Rams, who spend just $16.2 million on DBs after substituting cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, the 49ers signed cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Charvarius Ward to valuable contracts, so they’re not entirely averse to spending money here. But the team, committed to its “rush-over-coverage” philosophy, has been looking for bargains outside of the top cornerback position and has consistently spent millions more on its D-line.
Teams like the Bills ($59.6 million in DB spending) and Seahawks ($54.5 million) operate in stark contrast to the 49ers. The key for Lynch and company lies in the continued production of players like Talanoa Hufanga, Tashaun Gipson Sr. and Deommodore Lenoir, a trio whose cap hits average just $1.4 million. Third-round draft pick J’Ayir Brown, who’s costing the 49ers just under $981,000 this season, is another prime example of the rookie deal-cap efficiency the team is striving for in a young secondary class that paired with the big bucks is D line.
special teams
Players in squad: 4
Cap Hit (NFL ranked): $5.5 million (No. 21)
NFL average: $6.5 million
Rookie kicker Jake Moody’s 2023 cap number is only about $964,000, which opened up money for the 49ers they didn’t have when they paid Robbie Gould. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky ($1.8 million) and long snapper Taybor Pepper ($1.2 million) are both pricier, but neither of those contracts will break the bank and the 49ers are expected to get some money back , as soon as they jettison kicker Zane Gonzalez’s $1.5 million hit.
At that point, the 49ers will actually be ranked 29th in the NFL with a special teams total of around $4 million. You have optimized the costs in the room. Will it be worth it? Well, that depends on Moody’s leg.
(Top photo by Nick Bosa: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)