The 49ers generally move money around during the offseason. This year, Fred Warner will be at the top of the list
The San Francisco 49ers won’t be short on cap space this offseason, as they’re projected to have anywhere between $38 to $43 million when you include their rollover from 2024.
Still, there are plenty of holes to plug and potential moves the Niners could make. San Francisco must deal with the constant year-over-year turnover.
Brandon Allen and Josh Dobbs are unrestricted free agents, so a backup quarterback is something we’ll discuss over the next month and a half. Aaron Banks and Ben Bartch are also unrestricted free agents, making left guard a priority. It wouldn’t be an offseason if we didn’t talk about getting George Kittle help at tight end. Colton McKivitz and Jake Brendel are under contract, but that shouldn’t prevent the team from searching for upgrades.
And that’s before we get to the defensive side of the ball, where there’s a massive hole at defensive tackle, although Javon Hargrave could return. Leonard Floyd is under contract for only one more season. Dre Greenlaw and Charvarius Ward are unrestricted free agents.
If the organization feels it must free up money, it hasn’t been shy about approaching players to either restructure or take a pay cut. This is how the 49ers ended up moving on from Arik Armstead ahead of free agency last offseason, likely leading to Hargrave’s post-June 1 release.
The 49ers generally do this with one of their team captains or players they know aren’t going anywhere soon. In this case, Fred Warner is the leading candidate for a restructure this offseason.
Warner’s contract isn’t void until 2027. It makes sense to tinker with his deal, as the guaranteed salary was already given to Warner. Per Over the Cap, restructuring Warner would save the 49ers a significant amount of money over the next three seasons. Here’s how it looks:
2025: $12.37M
2026: $10.96M
2027: $8.15M
That’s a star defensive tackle in free agency or a couple of much-needed depth pieces along the offensive line in 2025. It’s a veteran cornerback who will replace Charvarius Ward and a new backup quarterback for Brock Purdy. The possibilities are endless, which is why a restructure makes sense.