The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business that often seems like its printing its own currency.
With that, comes a yearly rise of the league's salary cap, which is calculated based on revenue.
This afternoon, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the league reportedly informed the San Francisco 49ers and the rest of its teams of another sizable jump in the cap for 2025:
The NFL today informed teams that the 2025 per-team salary cap will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million, way up from last year's $255.4 million. Cap will have increased by more than $53 million over the last two years.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 19, 2025
While the final number has yet to determined, the minimum increase in the expected range would mean teams could enjoy an additional $22.1 million increase in cap space, with the high end ranging up to $26.1 million more.
Both are incredible numbers for a league that continues to make money hand over fist each year.
For some teams, like the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, the increase only makes their spending power all the stronger, with the Patriots rising up to $126.6 million and the Raiders up to $99.7 million in space, per OverTheCap (which is using the middle of the range, $279.5 million, for its estimates).
For others, like the cap-hamstrung New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns, the increase helps but doesn't mean they don't have a lot of work to do to get out into compliance with the cap for 2025 (the Saints are now at minus-$47.1 million, while Cleveland sits at minus-$24.3 million).
In the case of the Niners, they started the offseason with a decent amount of cap space (roughly $43.5 million), but this latest estimate puts them around $50.6 million in space, good for 12th in the NFL before any other moves are made this offseason.
Obviously, big decisions like what they'll do with wide receiver Deebo Samuel and the pending release of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave are going to impact the number as well, but the 49ers should be in good shape to make moves this offseason to improve their squad.
There are a few obvious places where the Niners can take advantage of the unexpected salary cap space.
Give Brock Purdy a bigger cap hit in 2025
The first thing that comes to mind with this increase is how it could make the negotiations for quarterback Brock Purdy's contract extension go even smoother than anticipated.
The 49ers are usually keen on applying low salary cap hits to the first year of a new deal, something closer to replicating what the player was set to make than not. In the case of Purdy, his current cap number is just a hair over $5 million, so the 49ers' front office would likely want to keep the number as reasonably close to that as they can in 2025.
The problem with this method is that the cap numbers grow each season, to the point where they are untenable near the end of a deal. If the player is still performing it isn't as important, because the 49ers can extend that contract and rework the cash.
If the player is not, as the Niners are finding out with Deebo right now, it creates a problematic cap issue for a player who either wants to get out of town or isn't getting the job done anymore.
So, maybe the increase allows the 49ers to up Purdy's 2025 cap hit more than might usually under similar circumstances, leaving some room for maneuvering in the latter years of the contract.
Sure, the cap could continue to increase at insane rates, but the 49ers shouldn't assume that and put themselves in a Saints' size hole.
Use the space that you know you have now to build in a bigger cushion for the future.
Give Dre Greenlaw a new deal
If the 49ers learned nothing else from last season, they should have found out how important linebacker Dre Greenlaw is to this defense.
2024 was a bad year for Greenlaw from an injury standpoint, but the unrestricted free agent could still have suitors outside of the 49ers given all the other teams currently employing former members of the San Francisco front office (Adam Peters in Washington) or coaching staff (DeMeco Ryans in Houston).
Before the salary cap was settled, there was uncertainty about Greenlaw's future as a Niner.
Now that the number is clearer, they should make Greenlaw their number one priority as far as re-signing of their own free agents.
Go after one of the defensive line stars that could be available
There are a lot of players that could be available as cap casualties this offseason and many of them feature in a position that will be key for the 49ers' ability to rebound in 2025: the defensive line.
Among those names are Joey Bosa and Von Miller, two older but still skilled pass-rushers who would be welcome additions to the 49ers' roster. Other potentials could be guys like defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata, among others.
The Niners may be able to throw more money at one of those veterans to add much-needed depth along the D-line.
San Francisco could also look to free agency for players who will hit the market under different circumstances as well. That could include maybe soon-to-be former members of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, former Niners like D.J. Jones, or maybe take a swing on someone like veteran Khalil Mack.
Either way, the lesson of the Eagles' championship run is that football is still won in the trenches, and so the 49ers should take that and run with it this offseason to rebuild their defense.
Extend George Kittle to make him a 49er for life
Even as he enters his age-32 season, George Kittle is still the best all around tight end in football.
There may be players, such as Brock Bowers of the Raiders, who are better pass catchers, or even some who are Kittle's equal as blockers, but nobody does both at the level the eight-year pro does.
And now he's going into 2025 on what would be the final year of his deal, so the 49ers should do what it takes to make sure that Kittle can retire as a member of the red and gold.
The Iowa product is coming off one of his more productive seasons as a pro, catching 78 passes on 94 targets for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns, all while continuing his trademark blocking and enjoying every single minute of it.
Kittle moved into third place on the 49ers' all-time receiving yards list this season, passing Dwight Clark and ending 2024 with 7,380 yards in eight seasons. He sits just 1,192 yards behind Terrell Owens for second place (and just a few yards -- 11,867 to be exact -- behind the GOAT, Jerry Rice, for first).
The tight end is also third all-time in receptions with 538, 54 catches off of TO's second-place spot (and a laughable 743 behind Rice) and has a chance to be just the fifth player in franchise history to surpass 50 touchdown receptions (Kittle sits eighth with 45).
All this to say, Kittle needs to be allowed to finish his career with San Francisco and to move into his rightful place as one of the best offensive players in the history of the franchise.
The Niners still owe Kittle roughly $15 million after this season anyway via a void year at the end of his deal, so they should do the right thing and extend the deal for a few more seasons.
Kittle's game, which is predicated on effort and precision rather than speed, should age well enough for the 49ers to believe in the tight end's production for a few more seasons.
They should make it a vital part of their offseason to give Kittle what he wants: to stay a Niner until the end.