San Francisco 49ers: 3 ramifications of George Kittle extension
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers will have to say goodbye to some key players
San Francisco has more than a handful of notable free agents set to hit the open market after this season:
- CB Richard Sherman
- SS Jaquiski Tartt
- OT Trent Williams
- DT D.J. Jones
- FB Kyle Juszczyk
- CB K’Waun Williams
- CB Emmanuel Moseley
- RB Tevin Coleman
- RB Jerick McKinnon
- CB Ahkello Witherspoon
- WR Kendrick Bourne
Re-signing any of these players will already be tough in the wake of George Kittle’s extension and the 49ers having roughly $180 million committed in 2021 against a $175 million cap.
To get below the threshold, John Lynch is likely to make some tough cap casualties happen. Moving on from veteran kicker Robbie Gould, who’ll count for $5.25 million against the cap next year, is a strong likelihood. So is left guard Laken Tomlinson, who’s scheduled to earn up to $6.25 million.
San Francisco is also unlikely to be able to afford luxury defensive pieces, namely EDGE Dee Ford and linebacker Kwon Alexander, whose combined contracts in 2021 are set to command up to $34.1 million.
Not everyone listed here will be gone, per se. But a good chunk of those players will be.