Today I continue my look at what the 49ers’ top free agents can get, & today we’re going to look over defensive end Arden Key.
Key was a huge surprise in 2021, ending with 6.5 sacks, which was by far his best season, as he had more sacks than he had in his first 3 seasons combined, along with career highs in tackles for loss, & QB hits.
But I’m not 100% convinced that Key will get outrageous contract offers, like last offseason, with Kerry Hyder Jr., who some felt he would net as much as $10 million a year, but he ended up with a $3.5 million a year deal, plus like with Hyder, Key might be a product of the Wide 9 defensive scheme, as Hyder had 8.5 sacks in 2020, but only 1.5 sacks this season.
As for what I think he could get, I’d put him in the $6 million a year range, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up getting closer to $3.5 million a year.
I’d expect the 49ers to include yearly $250,000 per game roster bonuses, & yearly $100,000 workout bonuses.
As for guarantees, I’d think his ceiling would be $10 million, with around $4.535 million fully guaranteed.
And, with all of this said, I thank everyone for reading this article, as always you can follow me on Twitter @49erscap, or leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you.
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