The 49ers rewarded one of their own, and it was well-deserved.
The San Francisco 49ers are giving cornerback Deommodore Lenoir a five-year, $92 million extension, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Lenoir has been the epitome of what you’d call a “homegrown talent.” The former fifth-round draft pick was inserted into the lineup as a rookie and hasn’t looked back since. During his career, Lenoir has shown consistent improvements and is playing at an All-Pro level this year.
Lenoir is a complete player. He plays the run like a linebacker but can cover anybody you put in front of him. Per Next Gen Stats, Lenoir has allowed a career-low 66.5 passer rating this season. Sports Info Solutions rates Lenoir as an upper-echelon cornerback. He’s given up a reception percentage of only 47.5 percent on 40 targets.
Lenoir has been durable. He didn’t miss a start last season and has started and played in every game this year. The 49ers ask a lot of Lenoir, and he often does the dirty work defensively.
What Lenoir’s contract means to the 49ers salary cap
Lenoir goes from making around $3.1 million in 2024 as a base salary to more than six times that moving forward. He’ll make $18.4 million if you average his contract out.
The 49ers have the most cap space in the NFL at $54.2 million, so these deals are unlikely to impact them significantly. Of course, paying Brock Purdy is on the horizon.
The total value of the extension makes Lenoir the sixth-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The annual value puts Lenoir at 12th.
Why did the 49ers extend Lenoir?
Kyle Shanahan gave effusive praise on October 28:
“Yeah, DMo’s been a stud. He is exactly what you want of 49er to play like. He came in his first rookie camp and stood out, got me fined for illegally jamming people too hard and putting on the internet. So, I always mess with him for that. But he started out real well, made a couple mistakes early on as a rookie and lost his confidence just a little bit I thought his rookie year. Then that second season, the way he came back in the offseason, kind of just possessed to get that job back and he’s kind of owned it ever since. He’s been a stud for a while to me and he gets better each year. He’s having a hell of a year.”
That same week, Nick Bosa called Lenoir one of his favorite teammates of all time. The love for D-Mo goes back to the last training camp when Brandon Aiyuk couldn’t stop raving about Lenoir.
What does this mean for the future of the 49ers CB room?
Charvarius Ward is currently on a $40.5 million contract that voids after this season. Ward wants a new contract. Is this the 49ers’ way of telling us that we’ve seen the last of Mooney? It very well could be.
Ward turns 29 in May, and while he’s been dependable, durable, and dominant, paying a cornerback when he’s into his 30s hasn’t paid off historically.
Renardo Green has been excellent during the first half of his rookie season, and that could be what saves the 49ers from feeling like they need to pay Mooney and Lenoir if it gets to an “either/or” decision.
Still, there’s a need for an outside cornerback if the team does not extend Ward. But Lenoir and Green aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.