So, there’s been a lot of speculation online about the 49ers potentially trading for Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive end/edge rusher Maxx Crosby, and I’m here to let everyone know if it’s really possible, especially long term.
First off, the 49ers, as of now, have $54,473,716 in available 2024 salary cap room, with a total of 80 players signed, either to the 53-man roster, the practice squad, or injured players, so if the 49ers were to do a deal for Crosby, here’s what it would cost the 49ers, salary cap wise.
In 2024, the 49ers would inherit $16,333,333 of his $24.4 million base salary, as 6 weeks worth of his base salary has already been paid, of course, it’s unlikely that a deal happens right now, as we’re a few days away from the 49ers week 7 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, & they’d also inherit $506,000 of Crosby’s $782,000 per game roster bonus, for a cap hit of $16,839,333 for the remainder of 2024.
Now, each week until the trade deadline, Crosby’s potential cap number would go down by $1,407,111, which is a combination of $1,361,111 from his base salary, and $46,000 from his per game roster bonus, so if the 49ers were to deal for him, today, which again isn’t happening, the 49ers would see their salary cap room go down to $36,227,271 for 2024.
As for future years, the 49ers currently are $8,456,773 under a projected 2025 salary cap of $280 million, but that’s with just 37 players signed, while they’d be $3,303,227 over with 51 players signed, with the remaining 14 players making the rookie minimum of $840,000 in 2025.
As for 2026, the 49ers currently would be $24,611,405 under a projected 2026 cap of $305 million, with just 22 players signed, or $1,053,595 over that projected $305 million cap, with 51 players signed, making the 2026 rookie minimum of $885,000 for the remaining 29 players needed to get to the top 51 rule.
So, for 2025 Crosby would have a $22.236 million base salary, along with a $782,000 per game roster bonus, a $100,000 workout bonus, for a cap hit of $23.118 million for 2025, meaning their 2025 cap room goes from the $8,456,773 under with 37 players signed, to being $14,661,227 over that projected $280 million 2025 salary cap, with 38 players signed, and $25,581,227 over with 51 players signed.
Now, for 2025, the 49ers only realistically have a few options to create cap room in order to make up for that $23.118 million cap hit, with them listed below.
TE George Kittle – $10.516 million savings ($13.145 million signing bonus, prorated at $2.629 million from 2025-2029) with a Restructure or Extension.
NT Javon Hargrave – $14.916 million savings ($18.645 million signing bonus, prorated at $3.729 million from 2025-2029) with a Restructure, or $2,747,353 savings with a pre June 1 cut, or $20,032,353 with a post June 1 cut, but the team wouldn’t get the money until June 2nd.
MLB Fred Warner – $13.184 million savings ($16.48 million signing bonus, prorated at $3.296 million from 2025-2029) with a Restructure or Extension.
Other than those 3 players, the 49ers honestly don’t have any/many other options, as the 49ers have already redid several deals to create cap room for both 2024 & 2025, namely Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel Sr., Jake Brendel, Trent Williams, & Maliek Collins.
As for players who restructured their deals, or signed new deals this offseason, that affected the 2025 salary cap, the 49ers won’t be able to offload Samuel before June 1, as they’d lose $29.229 million in 2025 cap room, while Brendel losses the team $2.093 million with a pre June 1 cut, and Collins would lose the team $670,000 with a pre June 1 cut.
If the 49ers wanted to offload these players after June 1, they’d save just $750,000 from Samuel, $1.765 million from Brendel, and $3.404 million from Collins, but that would also mean that they’d have significant dead money in 2026, whch as of now, Samuel, & Collins do have pending 2026 dead money.
As for Williams, & McCaffrey, the team would lose $34,854,781 if they cut Williams pre June 1, while only saving $750,000 with a post June 1 cut, as for McCaffrey, they’d lose $23,705,059 with a pre June 1 cut, and only save $323,529 with a post June 1 cut.
So basically, those 5 players are, in my eyes, guaranteed to be here in 2025, as team losses cap room on all 5 players, while only saving a total of $7,021,941 with post June 1 cuts or trades, while losing 4 either great or good players, and a serviceable interior offensive lineman, and would be settled with a ton of dead money in 2026.
Now onto 2026, where Crosby would have a $21.65 million base salary, a $782,000 per game roster bonus, a $100,000 workout bonus, for a 2026 cap hit of $29.855 million, leaving the 49ers just $4,951,405 under the 2026 projected cap of $305 million, with 23 players signed, or $19,828,595 over with 51 players signed.
Now, I don’t want to go to far into 2026, as the 49ers have $82,487,683 in pending dead money, from the likes of Deebo Samuel Sr., George Kittle, Maliek Collins, Jauan Jennings, & others, while I still fully believe the 49ers will extend both Samuel, & Kittle next offseason, but by doing so, the 49ers would surely clear most of their dead money, which is $343,142,683 for Samuel, and $13.625 million for Kittle.
Now, honestly, I don’t know if the 49ers trade for Crosby, if they’re going all in this year, & next season, they’d have to make it worth Las Vegas’ while to trade their star player, especially one who is just 27-years old, and will only get better & better as his career progresses.
Of course, the issue could be that Crosby has no guarantees left beyond 2024, so he may want a new deal, something we saw happen with the 49ers this offseason with McCaffrey, & Williams, both wanting new deals, with new guaranteed money, so would the 49ers really be willing to trade for a guy who likely would ask for a new deal a year from now? I doubt it.
Is it possible, sure it is, anything is possible with the salary cap nowadays, but the 49ers risk losing over $16.8 million in 2024 cap room, but again it goes down by $1,407,111 each week he’s still on the Raiders’ roster leading up to the trade deadline.
Do I see this happening, no, as the compensation that the Raiders will want, likely at least 1 first-round pick, likely 2, plus more picks on day 2, it’s just not worth it to trade for someone who is going to cost so much money in 2025 & 2026, and who will likely ask for a new deal, as his APY is just $23.5 million, which is a lot from what Nick Bosa makes, which is $34 million a year, on average of course.
Now would this hinder the 49ers 2025 cap, yes it would, as they’d lose the ability to carryover that $16.8 million, meaning they likely lose pretty much all of their big 5 free agents, Aaron Banks, Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, & Talanoa Hufanga, all scheduled to be UFAs in 2025.
Right now, the 49ers, in my opinion, can afford long term to bring back 2-3 of those 5, but if they add another expensive edge rusher, no the 49ers wouldn’t be able to retain any of these players in my eyes, which is a crying shame, as Lenoir looks like the player the 49ers really should prioritize retaining, along with potentially Greenlaw, and either Hufanga or Ward.
Beyond 2025, the 49ers would surely have tough decisions to make, as they already are facing down the road, but that has nothing to do with the Brandon Aiyuk deal, or the deals they either redid or gave out this offseason.
So, with that said, I thank you for reading, and follow me on X/Twitter @49erscap.
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