SF 49ers news: Don’t expect franchise tag to be used in 2021

While the SF 49ers have nearly 40 players hitting NFL free agency, the context of the 2021 offseason likely halts them from using the franchise tag.

Under “normal” circumstances, the SF 49ers likely would entertain the idea of using the franchise tag on one of their near-40 players poised to hit some form of NFL free agency this offseason.

The franchise tag has become something of a bad word among players who view the tag as a freeze on their free-agent bids and an obstacle against long-term contractual security. Unless you’re Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who once called the tag “your friend,” use of the franchise tag often creates more division between teams and players than solutions.

Teams can start using the tag starting Feb. 23 through March 9.

Nevertheless, the Niners aren’t exactly in a position where they could use the franchise tag this offseason anyway.

For starters, the 2021 salary cap is expected to drop from the near-$198 million it was in 2020 down to approximately $183 million, per the latest reports, which leaves San Francisco just over $13 million in cap space. Without any further roster jockeying and cap casualties, plus the SF 49ers needing to set aside roughly $7 million to sign its 2021 rookie class, general manager John Lynch and Co. have limited financial resources to either re-sign key free agents or, at the very least, apply the franchise tag.

And it doesn’t take too much to understand why when one looks at the projected franchise tag amounts, courtesy of Over the Cap:

• Quarterback: $24,112,000
• Defensive End: $17,752,000
• Wide Receiver: $16,430,000
• Linebacker: $15,657,000
• Cornerback: $15,266,000
• Offensive Line: $14,507,000
• Defensive Tackle: $14,178,000
• Safety: $11,196,000
• Running Back: $11,112,000
• Tight End: $10,167,000
• Special Teams: $4,792,000

Granted, there is the negotiation window from the start of the tagging period just before free agency hits until later this summer. But that doesn’t mean the tagged money disappears from the top-51 contracts needing to be fit underneath the salary cap.

And looking solely at the numbers, one can see why the Niners simply can’t afford to apply the tag to one of their high-profile free agents.

No SF 49ers franchise tag on Trent Williams, Kyle Juszczyk and others

Perhaps the only player the Niners may halfway consider using the tag on would be cornerback Jason Verrett, who bounced back nicely after an injury-plagued career between 2016 and 2019. Considering San Francisco is poised to lose nearly every starter within its secondary, going all out on retaining Verrett does make some sense, provided the front office could make it work.

Yet the cost — over $15 million — doesn’t make it a realistic solution.

Perhaps the only other two candidates for the tag, at least on the surface, are left tackle Trent Williams and fullback Kyle Juszczk.

Williams, an eight-time Pro Bowler, can’t be tagged, though, as part of his reworked deal with the SF 49ers last offseason included a clause stating the team couldn’t use the franchise tag on him in 2021. It’s either a re-sign deal or him hitting the open market, potentially commanding an annual salary in the range of $18 million.

If that clause wasn’t there, keeping Williams around for $14.5 million would be a no-brainer. But the clause is there, so that’s the end of the discussion.

Juszczyk, meanwhile, is an interesting case. As 49ers Webzone pointed out, there’s no fullback category in the tag department. By default, fullbacks fall into the running backs category, and the Niners wouldn’t tag him at a cost of $11.1 million after he earned $6.7 million in 2020 — an outlier for fullbacks but nearly half the cost of a running back playing on the franchise tender.

If San Francisco was swimming in cap space, it would be another story. Juszczyk or potentially Verrett could be tagged with the immediate hope of working out a long-term deal. At worst, either player would be retained on a one-year, fully guaranteed contract.

But that’s not the context the SF 49ers have in front of them. So when news of tagged players starts to break before the start of the league new year, fans shouldn’t expect the Niners to be involved.