Every 49ers player scheduled for NFL free agency in 2023

With the 2022 season just around the corner, Niner Noise breaks down the 49ers’ list of scheduled free agents poised to hit the market in 2023.

The San Francisco 49ers are no strangers to making tough decisions about which players they need to prioritize when they hit NFL free agency and which ones they are better off letting walk.

This offseason proved to be a prime example. There were little means by which the Niners could have afforded dishing out lucrative free-agent deals to Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson and standout nose tackle D.J. Jones, who inked new deals with the New York Jets and Denver Broncos, respectively.

And while San Francisco arguably had the ability to bring back nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams and safety Jaquiski Tartt, both of those players are gone, too.

That was this season’s drama. Next offseason, there’ll likely be more NFL free agency drama when considering the players the 49ers may potentially lose to the open market.

Free agents 49ers have some control over in 2023

The Niners currently have 13 players who are designated as either restricted free agents or exclusive-rights free agents in 2023, according to Over the Cap.

OTC does a great job explaining the difference between these two free agentsR, but the gist of the two is fairly simple.

1. Exclusive-rights free agents (ERFAs) can only negotiate with the team holding their contract, so they’re technically not free agents at all
2. Restricted free agents (RFAs) can command a first-, second- or original-round tender with an associated contract amount, meaning a team would have to surrender a corresponding pick if it signs an RFA that received a qualifying tender.

49ers exclusive-rights free agents

• WR Austin Mack
• LB Curtis Robinson
• EDGE Alex Barrett
• OL Alfredo Gutierrez
• FB Josh Hokit

ERFAs rarely make the 53-man roster, and waiving or releasing them can result in other teams either placing claims or signing them outright.

49ers restricted free agents

• TE Tanner Hudson
• OL Keaton Sutherland
• DL Kevin Givens
• LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
• RB JaMycal Hasty
• OL Colton McKivitz
• WR KeeSean Johnson
• WR Jauan Jennings

Things can get a bit more challenging for RFAs, and some may be attractive to other teams on the open market. Given those teams would frequently have to dish out draft compensation to another team providing a qualifying offer, though, RFAs being signed away after a tender is rare.

List of 49ers free agents in 2023

Currently, weeks before San Francisco begins training camp ahead of the 2022 season, there are 34 unrestricted free agents who’ll be free to join any other team next offseason if the 49ers don’t extend them in the meantime, or if they aren’t slapped with a franchise tag.

All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel is in this camp, as he awaits what’ll likely be a hefty contract extension, yet the 49ers could continue playing hardball with him via the franchise tag, should they choose.

Meanwhile, EDGE Nick Bosa isn’t in the same category because the Niners picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option, which is a possibility for first-round NFL Draft picks even though both he and Samuel were drafted together in 2019, Samuel being the Round 2 pick who doesn’t qualify for a fifth-year option.

49ers unrestricted free agents

• QB Jimmy Garoppolo
• EDGE Samson Ebukam
• CB Emmanuel Moseley
• RT Mike McGlinchey
• LB Azeez Al-Shaair
• K Robbie Gould
• OL Daniel Brunskill
• QB Nate Sudfeld
• WR Deebo Samuel
• DT Hassan Ridgeway
• EDGE Kemoko Turay
• DE Kerry Hyder Jr.
• DB Dontae Johnson
• TE Tyler Kroft
• CB Darqueze Dennard
• EDGE Jordan Willis
• WR Malik Turner
• DL Maurice Hurst
• RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
• LS Taybor Pepper
• TE Ross Dwelley
• WR Marcus Johnson
• OL Jake Brendel
• TE Jordan Matthews
• CB Jason Verrett
• TE Troy Fumagalli
• CB Ka’dar Hollman
• DB Tarvarius Moore
• P Mitch Wishnowsky
• LB Dre Greenlaw
• DE Charles Omenihu
• OL Justin Skule
• S Jimmie Ward
• EDGE Dee Ford

Many of these players are on cheap one-year contracts, and a lot of those aren’t expected to make the 53-man roster out of training camp. While San Francisco could subsequently sign some to its practice squad if they clear waivers, it’s important to note all 31 other teams could ink them off the practice squad if they’re signed directly to that team’s 53-man roster.

A few noteworthy players may not make it to the end of their respective contracts with the 49ers, too, such as Garoppolo and Ford.

In Garoppolo’s case, either a trade or outright release could be looming, while the Niners are expected to move on from Ford as soon as he can pass a physical and despite owning more dead money in voided years beyond 2022.