So recently I took a look at the 49ers 2022 salary cap situation, as well as a small look into 2023, when it comes to an extension for Brandon Aiyuk, but today I’m going to dive deeper into the 49ers 2023 salary cap situation.
As of now the 49ers have 17 players signed for 2023, with a total of $122,334,200 in committed salaries for them, and a projected $11,304,999 in dead money, totaling $133,639,199, which would give the 49ers, with a projected $225 million cap, $91,360,801, but that’s before the top 51, so it would be $65,860,801 after the top 51.
Listed below are the 17 players signed, & their cap numbers for 2023.
QB Trey Lance(2024) – $9,301,434
RB Elijah Mitchell(2024) – $985,893
RB Trey Sermon(2024) – $1,328,982
FB Kyle Juszczyk(2025) – $6,588,750
WR Brandon Aiyuk(2023) – $3,987,249
TE George Kittle(2025) – $16,300,000
TE Charlie Woerner(2023) – $1,055,259
C Alex Mack(2023) – $5,075,000
RG Aaron Banks(2024) – $1,911,166
LT Trent Williams(2026) – $26,720,000
LT Jaylon Moore(2024) – $1,020,7589
DT Arik Armstead(2024) – $21,740,000
DT Javon Kinlaw(2023) – $4,928,223
MLB Fred Warner(2026) – $18,525,000
CB Ambry Thomas(2024) – $1,305,232
CB Deommodore Lenoir(2024) – $1,011,217
SS Talanoa Hufanga(2024) – $1,000,038
As for their dead money, they’ll have $4,909,999 from Dee Ford, & $6.395 million from Jimmie Ward, now if the 49ers extend Ward before his contract voids, then Ward’s cap number may come in around that $6.395 million.
Of course, the 49ers will have more than 17 players signed for 2023 by the end of the 2022 season, let’s take a look at who those players I believe will be signed for 2023.
First off, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, & defensive end Nick Bosa will be getting brand new long term extensions, with Deebo coming in north of $20 million a year, & Bosa north of $30 million a year.
Now, Bosa’s 5th-year option will be worth $20.186 million, which is what the franchise tag will be in 2022 for the defensive end position, but I doubt his 2023 cap number will be that high, instead it’ll likely be in the $16 million range, as this is the norm for 49ers’ extensions, when they did tight end George Kittle’s extension in 2020, his 2021 cap number was just $5,482,706, & with Fred Warner’s 2021 extension, his 2022 cap number is just $8,134,588, so expect both Bosa, & Deebo to have lower-ish 2023 cap numbers.
Now for Deebo’s extension, as people know what I’d do, & what I think the 49ers plan is to reduce his 2022 base salary down to the minimum of $965,000, take the difference, turn that into the prorated portion of his signing bonus, $15 million, adding just $29,000 to his 2022 cap number, which would be $4,919,519.
As for 2023, I’d expect his cap number to come in the $7.25 million to $8 million range, with the deal being backloaded, since the salary cap will be going up significantly starting in 2024.
There are a few other players who I believe will be on the 2022 roster, & brought back in 2023, as they’re either ERFAs, or RFAs, they are, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, left guard Colton McKivitz, & defensive tackle Kevin Givens.
For Jennings, he’s an ERFA, so his tender would be $940,000, while McKivitz, & Givens will be RFAs, but I’d expect the 49ers to re-sign them to 1-year deals, likely in the $1.3 million range, which will be much lower than whatever the 2023 RFA tenders will be, which is decided by the percentage that the 2023 salary cap goes up by.
So, with wide receivers Deebo Samuel, & Jauan Jennings, left guard Colton McKivitz, defensive end Nick Bosa, & defensive tackle Kevin Givens expected to be signed for 2023, that will give them 22 players signed, meaning their cap room would be $42,425,801 on a $225 million salary cap.
Of course, the 49ers will look to lock up some of their 2022 free agents, with the players who would be the most likely to get multi-year deals being, running back Jeff Wilson Jr., left guard Laken Tomlinson, defensive ends Arden Key, & Jordan Willis, nose tackle D.J. Jones, strongside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, cornerback K’Waun Williams, & strong safety Jaquiski Tartt.
Now, as I said in my last article from yesterday, the 49ers would have $13,994,939 in salary cap room for 2022, this included them tendering their ERFAs(JaMycal Hasty, Jauan Jennings, Colton McKivitz, Kevin Givens, & Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles), re-signing RFAs Daniel Brunskill, & Kentavius Street to 1-year deals, worth $1.265 million, and Azeez Al-Shaair to a 3-year deal, with a $1.3 million 2022 cap number.
I’ve been updating my 2022 offseason plan, & I have them re-signing Wilson, Tomlinson, Key, Willis, Jones, & Williams to multi-year deals, with their 2023 cap numbers below.
RB Jeff Wilson Jr. – $3,165,000
LG Laken Tomlinson – $4,746,352
DE Arden Key – $3,100,000
DE Jordan Willis – $2,515,000
NT D.J. Jones – $5,965,000
CB K’Waun Williams – $3,880,000
Wilson, & Willis’ deals would be 2-year deals, Williams would be a 3-year deal, Key would be a 4-year deal, & Tomlinson, & Jones being 5-year deals.
I also have the 49ers re-signing strongside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to a 3-year deal, averaging $3.5 million a year, with a $3,183,333 cap number for 2023.
So, if we add in the above cap numbers for 2023, that would give the 49ers 29 players signed, and $21,121,116 in cap room on a $225 million salary cap.
Now, the 49ers will have some key unrestricted free agents in 2023, with them below.
RT Mike McGlinchey
DE Samson Ebukam
DE Charles Omenihu
WLB Dre Greenlaw
CB Emmanuel Moseley
FS Jimmie Ward
Of these 6 players, I’d expect the bottom 3(Greenlaw, Moseley, & Ward) would be the highest priorities, while McGlinchey, Ebukam, & Omenihu’s 2023 status will depend on how they do in 2022, now for Ebukam, he’s a potential cap casualty, unless he agrees to a pay cut this offseason.
Also, I expect the 49ers to extend Brandon Aiyuk next offseason, which should also be done like they did with George Kittle, & Fred Warner, by lowering his base salary, which is $2,318,821, down to $1.01 million, a difference of $1,308,821, but that won’t be enough for a signing bonus, say in the $15 million range, prorating at $3 million over 5-years, meaning his 2023 cap number would go from $3,987,248 to $5,678,427, which is just $1,691,179 in cap room being used, leaving the 49ers $19,429,937 under the 2023 cap.
Of course this doesn’t include any of their draft picks, which as of now, they have the following, their own 2nd-rounder(61st-overall), their own 3rd-rounder(93rd-overall), a compensatory 3rd-rounder(102nd-overall, for losing Mike McDaniel), their own 4th-rounder(133rd-overall), their own 5th-rounder(172nd-overall), the Denver Broncos 6th-rounder(186th-overall), and 3 compensatory 7th-rounders(252nd-overall, 255th-overall, & 262nd-overall, for losing Solomon Thomas, Kerry Hyder Jr., & C.J. Beathard last offseason).
Those 9 picks would cost $9,111,811 in 2023, which if we add that in, the 49ers would have $16,784,057 in salary cap room with 38 players signed.
Those 38 players would be.
1. QB Trey Lance(2024) – $9,301,434
2. RB Elijah Mitchell(2024) – $985,893
3. RB Trey Sermon(2024) – $1,328,982
4. RB Jeff Wilson Jr.(2023) – $3,165,000
5. FB Kyle Juszczyk(2025) – $6,588,750
6. WR Deebo Samuel(2027) – $7,250,000
7. WR Brandon Aiyuk(2028) – $5,678,427
8. WR Jauan Jennings(2023) – $940,000
9. TE George Kittle(2025) – $16,300,000
10. TE Charlie Woerner(2023) – $1,055,259
11. C Alex Mack(2023) – $5,075,000
12. LG Laken Tomlinson(2026) – $4,746,352
13. LG Colton McKivitz(2023) – $1,300,000
14. RG Aaron Banks(2024) – $1,911,166
15. LT Trent Williams(2026) – $26,720,000
16. LT Jaylon Moore(2024) – $1,020,7589
17. DE Nick Bosa(2027) – $16,395,000
18. DE Arden Key(2025) – $3,100,000
19. DE Jordan Willis(2023) – $2,515,000
20. DT Arik Armstead(2024) – $21,740,000
21. DT Javon Kinlaw(2023) – $4,928,223
22. DT Kevin Givens(2023) – $1,300,000
23. NT D.J. Jones(2026) – $5,965,000
24. MLB Fred Warner(2026) – $18,525,000
25. SLB Azeez Al-Shaair(2024) – $3,183,333
26. CB Ambry Thomas(2024) – $1,305,232
27. CB Deommodore Lenoir(2024) – $1,011,217
28. CB K’Waun Williams(2024) – $3,880,000
29. SS Talanoa Hufanga(2024) – $1,000,038
30. 2022 2nd-round pick(2025) – $1,420,343
31. 2022 3rd-round pick(2025) – $1,210,621
32. 2022 Compensatory 3rd-round pick(2025) – $1,139,719
33. 2022 4th-round pick(2025) – $1,067,792
34. 2022 5th-round pick(2025) – $953,386
35. 2022 6th-round pick via Denver Broncos(2025) – $926,024
36. 2022 1st Compensatory 7th-round pick(2025) – $892,665
37. 2022 2nd Compensatory 7th-round pick(2025) – $892,665
38. 2022 3rd Compensatory 7th-round pick(2025) – $892,665
Now, if the 49ers can re-sign free safety Jimmie Ward before his contract voids, that $6.395 million dead money would likely end up being close to his expected 2023 salary cap number, as I doubt the 49ers would want to use up much, if any of their 2023 salary cap room.
So, the 49ers 2023 salary cap room would now be $17,534,362, which would be a good amount of cap room to re-sign Dre Greenlaw, Emmanuel Moseley, plus some outside free agent additions.
I should mention that in my 2022 mock offseason plan, I have the 49ers extending Dre Greenlaw, to a 4-year deal, worth $3.5 million a year, with a 2023 cap number of $2.185 million, which would give the 49ers 40 players under contract for 2023, with $16,099,362 in salary cap room, & this is factoring in the top 51 rule, with 11 players making $750,000, all factored into my numbers throughout this article.
Of course, this is just speculation on what players the 49ers will sign this offseason, but if it’s anywhere near this, the 49ers will be in great shape salary cap wise.
One last thing, I didn’t talk about Javon Kinlaw, & Brandon Aiyuk’s 5th-year options, as 1. We have no clue what the salaries would be, and 2. It’s not guaranteed that Kinlaw gets his picked up, but Aiyuk should.
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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