For better or worse, the San Francisco 49ers have a history with paying top players top dollar at their respective positions. And, as soon as the inevitable rise in contract values surpasses a Niners star, it's not uncommon for said star to demand equal-or-better value.
San Francisco has seen this with several of its marquee stars, including left tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey, whose brief 2024 holdout for a new deal preceded a frustrating injury-plagued campaign.
With an annual average of $19 million on his current deal, second in the NFL at the position only to the Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley, McCaffrey certainly noticed the New York Jets' recent investment in their own star running back, Breece Hall.
As reported by SNY's Connor Hughes, Hall avoids having to play on the franchise tag and will ink a three-year deal that essentially only commits Gang Green to the first two years:
Sources: The contract for Breece Hall is really a two-year, fully-guaranteed $29m deal ($14.5m APY). The third year does not have any grantees in it, but with it, and incentives, the APY jumps.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) May 8, 2026
Was important for the #Jets to get this done. They felt they were close before tag… pic.twitter.com/02WivSMt36
Good thing there's a number in there that'll ease the 49ers' concerns about McCaffrey potentially wanting more money... again.
Breece Hall's new contract won't threaten Christian McCaffrey's total value
It's always interesting to watch when one star player's new contract surpasses another star player's deal, particularly when the latter is still very much in his prime.
As for McCaffrey, who managed 2,126 all-purpose yards in 2025 on a league-high 413 touches, the fact he turns 30 years old this summer is a good suggestion the Niners wouldn't respond to any glaring contractual demands from the All-Pro, provided Hall's deal ended up surpassing McCaffrey's AAV of $19 million.
But Hall's contract won't come close at $14.5 million, and the only wiggle room might be whether or not CMC wants more than his already-guaranteed $24 million allocates.
The chances of that happening are low, but there'd be room for it, especially with McCaffrey's understanding that his career is much closer to its conclusion than beginning, and injuries have played a major role in his pro tenure. Getting a bit more guaranteed would be a bonus, but his $12 million AAV in guaranteed money still puts him in the top four, now with Hall added to the group.
Had Hall's new contract exceeded McCaffrey's total annual average, the latter might've been convinced to hold out this summer in hopes for a new deal.
That didn't happen, though, thankfully.
Add us as a preferred source on Google