The 49ers seem to have a cash-flow issue.
The owners just purchased a controlling stake in a Scottish soccer team, they also own an English soccer team and they recently have placed tight financial constraints on their American football team according to 49ers general manager John Lynch. That’s why they’re gutting their roster.
The 49ers owners spent a whopping $334 million on the 49ers’ players last season only to watch them go 6-11 and miss the playoffs. Now, the 49ers want to spend more prudently. And they presumably want to extend Brock Purdy whose contract will be massive.
So the 49ers don’t have much cash to spend on other players which is why they’ve been signing backups so far in free agency.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, they have almost $75 million worth of option bonuses they will have to pay on April 1. Here are those bonuses:
Nick Bosa: $29,015,545
Brandon Aiyuk: $22,855,000
Christian McCaffrey: $14,245,000
Deommodore Lenoir: $6,500,000
Jauan Jennings: $2,205,000
Of those five players, Lenoir and Jennings definitely are worth the money they’re owed on April 1. The others might not be worth their price exorbitant price tags.
Trading Bosa in the next few weeks would save the 49ers nearly $30 million in cash and bring back at least one first-round pick.
Trading Aiyuk in the next few weeks would save the 49ers nearly $23 million in cash, although it’s unlikely another team would want to take on his salary before he can run or pass a physical.
Trading McCaffrey in the next few weeks would save the 49ers nearly $15 million in cash and bring back a a second-round pick at least. Keep in mind, the Niners just gave running back Jordan Mason a second-round tender that will pay him $5.3 million in 2025. That’s starting-running-back money, not backup money.
If the 49ers truly want to save as much cash as possible, they should consider trading Bosa and McCaffrey as soon as possible.