The San Francisco 49ers finished 2025 12-5, tied for 2nd place in the NFC West, and good enough for a 6th seed in the playoffs.
They enter 2026 with an estimated $39M of cap space (against a projected $304M league threshold), including 44 contracts (3 of which are set to void in March). The Niners table is headlined by Nick Bosa ($42M), and Trent Williams ($38.8M).
San Francisco currently boasts 9 draft picks, including three 3rd-rounders (two projected compensatory picks). They sent a 5th-round pick to Philly in exchange for LB Bryce Huff. Future 49ers Draft Picks
Early Offseason Questions
With Aiyuk certainly on his way out, Jennings slated for free agency, and Kittle a TBD as he recovers from an Achilles tear, how aggressive will the front office be in dedicating starter-level talent around Brock Purdy in 2026?
Trent Williams has announced a return, but his timeline is (obviously) dwindling. Will there be a concerted effort in locating his heir apparent this offseason?
What is it going to take to keep this roster relatively healthy for 20+ weeks?
Notable Free Agents
(Spotrac Valuation APY)
WR Jauan Jennings ($22.6M)
K Eddy Pineiro ($5.5M)
OL Spencer Burford ($3.5M)
Extension Candidates
TE Jake Tonges
Tonges is slated for restricted free agency this, and the Niners may need to slap a higher tender on him to keep him away from an offer sheet (a 2nd-round tender could cost around $5.8M in 2026), but both sides may be poised to just skip that step and lock in a multi-year guarantee instead. Noah Gray’s 3 year, $18M extension in KC seems a likely starting point.
Williams will be 38-years-old when the 2026 regular season kicks off, but he’s already confirmed his intent to return. With that said, the future HOFer currently carries a $38.8M cap hit against $33M cash, which likely forces San Francisco to adjust things in some manner. The Niners could opt to tack on a year, convert a little more base salary into bonus, and set themselves up to run Williams back in 2026 on a comfortable number, then consider his retirement as a Post June 1st scenario thereafter.
Bubble Candidates
WR Brandon Aiyuk
Release Candidate
For lack of a better term, Aiyuk quit on this organization in 2025 after fully recovering from his 2024 ACL injury. He’s reportedly healthy, and capable of playing football, but both sides decided to shut things down late this season, setting up a sure divorce in the coming months. While $26.15M of salary guarantee in 2026 has been voided, the contract still carries $29.5M of dead cap (stemming from a 2024 signing bonus, and a 2025 option bonus). San Francisco is likely to attempt to recoup a large portion of this, but they’ll take the hit to move on this March. Designating Aiyuk a Post June 1st release splits that into $8.3M for 2026, $21.2M in 2027.
QB Mac Jones
Trade Candidate
With $4.6M cash against a very tenable $3.9M cap hit in 2026, the Niners don’t have to do a thing with Jones – who filled in admirably for an injured Brock Purdy for 8 2025 starts. But there’s no question that a few QB-needy teams will be sniffing around this contract in the coming weeks, with a trade offer or two likely to come. An early offseason trade leaves behind $1.8M of dead cap, freeing up $2.1M of space.
CB Deommodore Lenoir
Trade Candidate
The entire SF secondary faced injury problems and overall inconsistent play in 2025, which should force the front office to prioritize upgrades this coming offseason. Lenoir still has 4 years, $68M remaining on his deal, but none of it is currently protected ($16M locks in April 1st). With $13M of dead cap against an $8.8M cap figure this season, the Niners probably give this one more year before considering their options.
Potential Cap Conversions
DE Nick Bosa’s 2026 compensation is fully secured. Converting salary to signing bonus can free up nearly $22M of cap.
In lieu of an extension, the Niners could opt to convert OT Trent Williams’ 2026 salary into signing bonus, freeing up as much as $17.4M of cap space.
RELATED LINKS
2026 49ers Salary Cap Table
49ers 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac’s Offseason Guide