Explaining why the 49ers 2024 salary cap situation isn’t as bad as some make it out to be

With the 49ers’ players set to report to Santa Clara for training camp this Tuesday, and a pending Nick Bosa extension coming, let’s take a peak towards 2024, and explain why I don’t have the concerns about the 49ers 2024 cap that others do.

The 49ers currently have 52 players signed for 2024, with those 52 players counting $269,904,984, plus $1,631,001 in dead money, for a total commitment of $271,535,985, with the 2024 salary cap expected to come in between $256 million to $260 million range, but for this I’m assuming the cap will be the lower amount, $256 million, which would leave them $14,620,985 over the cap.

Now, let’s take a look at the 52 players currently signed, with their salary cap number.

1. WR 19 Deebo Samuel(2025)- $28,572,000
2. LT 71 Trent Williams(2026)- $28,009,777
3. DT 91 Arik Armstead(2024)- $25,628,824
4. MLB 54 Fred Warner(2026)- $24,469,000
5. TE 85 George Kittle(2025)- $19,842,575
6. CB 7 Charvarius Ward(2024)- $17,901,000
7. NT 98 Javon Hargrave(2026)- $15,475,000
8. RB 23 Christian McCaffrey(2025)- $14,144,000
9. WR 11 Brandon Aiyuk(2024)- $14,124,000
10. QB 5 Trey Lance(2024)- $10,851,673
11. WLB 57 Dre Greenlaw(2024)- $9,632,382
12. FB 44 Kyle Juszczyk(2025)- $7,588,750
13. C 64 Jake Brendel(2026)- $4,192,000
14. CB 22 Isaiah Oliver(2024)- $3,866,000
15. P 18 Mitch Wishnowsky(2026)- $2,825,000
16. RT 68 Colton McKivitz(2024)- $2,536,000
17. LG 65 Aaron Banks(2024)- $2,250,694
18. SS 30 George Odum(2024)- $1,625,000
19. DE 95 Drake Jackson(2025)- $1,607,016
20. CB 20 Ambry Thomas(2024)- $1,425,154
21. RB 32 Tyrion Davis-Price(2025)- $1,393,240
22. WR 6 Danny Gray(2025)- $1,375,883
23. LS 46 Taybor Pepper(2025)- $1,300,000
24. FS 27 Ji’Ayir Brown(2026)- $1,226,319
25. PK 4 Jake Moody(2026)- $1,205,473
26. TE 81 Cameron Latu(2026)- $1,205,473
27. RG 74 Spencer Burford(2025)- $1,153,014
28. RT 76 Jaylon Moore(2024)- $1,135,759
29. CB 2 Deommodore Lenoir(2024)- $1,126,217
30. SS 29 Talanoa Hufanga(2024)- $1,115,038
31. RB 25 Elijah Mitchell(2024)- $1,100,893
32. CB 26 Samuel Womack III(2025)- $1,055,831
33. LG 63 Nick Zakelj(2025)- $1,032,590
34. NT 93 Kalia Davis(2025)- $1,018,003
35. QB 13 Brock Purdy(2025)- $1,004,253
36. CB 28 Darrell Luter Jr.(2026)- $993,378
37. RB 24 Jordan Mason(2024)- $988,334
38. DE 33 Robert Beal Jr.(2026)- $976,245
39. SLB 53 Dee Winters(2026)- $948,333
40. TE 9 Brayden Willis(2026)- $934,975
41. WR 10 Ronnie Bell(2026)- $934,446
42. SLB 50 Jalen Graham(2026)- $934,446
43. CB 49 D’Shawn Jamison(2025)- $921,666
44. LG 60 Ilm Manning(2025)- $920,000
45. RG 66 Joey Fisher(2025)- $920,000
46. DE 69 Spencer Waege(2025)- $918,333
47. FB 49 Jack Colletto(2025)- $918,333
48. RB 36 Khalan Laborn(2025)- $918,333
49. C 61 Corey Luciano(2025)- $916,666
50. FS 36 Avery Young(2025)- $916,666
51. RB 35 Ronald Awatt(2025)- $915,666
52. WR 2 Isaiah Winstead(2025)- $915,333

Now, as I’ve stated in the past, the 49ers have 4 players who could see their base salary escalate in 2024, Elijah Mitchell, Aaron Banks, Deommodore Lenoir, & Talanoa Hufanga, with Hufanga, who made the Pro Bowl last year, actually guaranteed to get the 2nd-round tender level, which would be $4.901 million, increasing his cap number by $3.846 million, with a potential extension happening in 2024.

For Mitchell, Banks, & Lenoir, their base salary would go to the original round tender, which is projected to be $3.124 million, which is an increase of $2.069 for Mitchell, & Lenoir, and $1,549,416 increase for Banks, a total of $5,687,416, added to Hufanga’s increase, for a total of $9,533,416, but there’s no guarantee that the 3(Mitchell, Banks, & Lenoir) hit the required playtime percentage to see their base salary escalate, but for this exercise, I’m assuming they will hit the amount needed.

So, if we add the $9,533,416 to the team already being $14,620,985 over, that would put them $24,154,401 over the projected 2024 salary cap of $256 million, but I liken 2024 to 2022, when the 49ers were over $20 million over the salary cap, so they restructured George Kittle, & Arik Armstead’s deals, and they were able to keep Azeez Al-Shaair for another year on the 2nd-round tender, & they were able to sign Charvarius Ward to a big money deal, so I expect the team to do something along the lines of the following.

I expect the team to extend Arik Armstead, Dre Greenlaw, & Charvarius Ward, which would save the team $27.688 million, plus I expect them to restructure Deebo Samuel’s deal, which saves the team $15,877,600, for a total savings of $43,565,600, which would put the 49ers $19,411,199 under the 2024 salary cap, but this is before a Nick Bosa extension, which should happen in the next week or two, and I believe will have a 2024 salary cap number of $12 million, putting them $7,411,199 under the projected 2024 cap.

The team should also carryover somewhere in the $10 million range, as I project them to be around $15 million under the 2023 cap when the season begins, but this depends on how the roster is structured, and how the 2023 season plays out, plus the team would get back some good amount of incentives, or guaranteed salaries they gave out to both veterans, & UDFAs.

When it comes to adjustments/credits, I’d expect, based on who should start, the 49ers, so let’s take a look at what the 49ers would get back from veterans, & UDFAs.

First the veterans who I expect to make the teams’ practice squad, or another teams’ practice squad, or 53-man roster.

QB Brandon Allen – $200,000

WR Chris Conley – $370,800 of $400,000

WR Willie Snead IV – $250,000

TE Ross Dwelley – $370,800 of $700,000

DT T.Y. McGill Jr. – $370,800 of $400,000

Now the teams UDFAs that I expect to make the teams’ practice squad, or another teams’ practice squad, or 53-man roster.

RB Khalan Laborn – $35,000

FB Jack Colletto – $100,000

C Corey Luciano – $5,000

G Joey Fisher – $115,000

G Ilm Manning – $90,000

CB D’Shawn Jamison – $120,000

FS Avery Young – $10,000

That’s a total of $1,562,400 for the veterans, and $475,000 from the UDFAs, for a total of $2,037,400, putting the 49ers $9,448,599 under the 2024 cap, and if we add in a projected $10 million in carryover, they’d have $19,448,599 in cap room for 2024.

I’d also expect them to tender Jauan Jennings at the 2nd-round level, which would be $4.901 million, leaving the 49ers $15,342,599 under the 2024 salary cap, and this doesn’t include any potential LTBE incentives they could get back like Sam Darnold’s $1.8 million, or Jon Feliciano’s $1 million, but the 49ers will be just fine.

So, in conclusion, I expect the 49ers to be very busy in the 2024 offseason, with the likely extensions of Greenlaw, Armstead, & Ward, plus extensions for Aiyuk, Hufanga, Banks, and maybe Lenoir, it will be a busy & entertaining offseason in 2024, but let’s all enjoy the 2023 season, as it’s less than 2 months away from the 49ers kicking off in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.

With that said, thank you for reading, and follow me on Twitter @49erscap for more salary cap information, & tidbits.

About Author

Jason Hurley

Die Hard 49ers fan from New York, been covering the 49ers salary cap since 2005, with several different websites, including NinersNation.com, & the now defunct NinerCapHell, I have a track record of being as accurate as possible, & I try to be as thorough as possible.

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