49ers Salary Cap Implications if Colin Kaepernick Opts Out in 2017
By Peter Panacy
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent in 2017. What does this do to the Niners already large salary cap situation?
On Friday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick would be opting out of his current contract and become a free agent this offseason.
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Officially, he can’t do this until March 2 and the earliest, but it more than makes sense Kap would want out. His strained relationship with the franchise, added to a new regime change in Santa Clara, is more than a small indication this would happen.
And it isn’t likely the Niners planned on keeping him through 2017 anyway.
Yet this does change up San Francisco’s salary cap situation quite a bit.
As of now, the 49ers have $80,896,264 in cap space, per Over the Cap. This ranks as the second highest in the NFL this offseason, behind the Cleveland Browns’ $97,391,921 in space.
Kaepernick restructured his deal last season, which allowed him the opt-out clause to become a free agent in 2017. Had he stayed, the Niners would have owed him $14.5 million in guaranteed money and a full $19.37 million including bonuses.
You can take a look at the full contract below:
The $2-plus million in dead money, I believe, wouldn’t be a factor if Kap opts out. But the bigger point is the Niners would have an additional $14.5 million (the guaranteed amount) added to their cap space.
Related Story: Report: Colin Kaepernick Expected to Opt Out of Contract
In total, this would bring San Francisco’s cap amount to a whopping $95,396,264.
Other Roster Moves
Kaepernick isn’t the only player the Niners may part ways with this offseason.
Veteran linebacker Ahmad Brooks is due to make $6.15 million in total for 2017. Considering his age (32 years old) and the fact he’s digressed since his Pro Bowl 2013 campaign, it seems unlikely San Francisco would want him back.
Cutting him would free up an additional $5.3 million in cap space with a total of just $848,750 in dead money.
Additionally, it wouldn’t be surprising to see San Francisco part ways with aging safety Antoine Bethea, who is due $7 million this upcoming season. If cut, the Niners would be on the hook for $1.25 in dead money but would save $5.75 more in cap savings.
Let’s assume Kaepernick walks and the Niners part ways with both Brooks and Bethea.
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In total, the savings generated would be $106,446,264.
That’s quite a number.
Considering the team has needs all across its roster, new general manager John Lynch would have more than enough assets to hit free agency hard this offseason. Certainly, there are a number of free-agent targets who might be enticing to Lynch and the 49ers front office. But, needless to say, San Francisco can be both aggressive and lucrative in its pursuit of talent.
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We’ll see how this pans out, but the Niners are surely in a great situation, cap wise, to hit this offseason.