Don't expect 49ers to release Christian McCaffrey or Kyle Juszczyk anytime soon

The 49ers need to get both younger and cheaper in 2025, but that won't mean parting ways with older veterans like Christian McCaffrey or Kyle Juszczyk.

The San Francisco 49ers have some awfully tough roster decisions to make this upcoming offseason.

In some ways, a disappointing 2024 campaign is a blessing in disguise. The lackluster year has shed light on what's become an aging and increasingly expensive roster, one that's no longer the class act of the NFC and a legit Super Bowl contender.

So, it's probably best for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan to start having those difficult roster conversations now rather than in the early stages of the 2025 offseason.

More than a handful of notable Niners will be gone next year, yes.

But, if you are thinking fullback Kyle Juszczyk and/or running back Christian McCaffrey will be among the departures, think again.

It makes no financial sense for 49ers to release Kyle Juszczyk

Juszczyk's goal-line fumble in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills helped illustrate a painful point about where San Francisco is at.

Even the stars and captains are failing to deliver in key moments.

At 33 years old, Juszczyk's career is entering its final stages, and he'll be a free agent in 2026 anyway. Plus, in light of the 49ers asked one of their longest-tenured players to take a pay cut last offseason, Lynch and Shanahan seem to have already prepared for life after the fullback. After all, had Juszczyk declined, he would have been released and, well... there you go.

However, it doesn't make much sense for the Niners to make Juszczyk a salary cap casualty this offseason. Sure, doing so would save $2.93 million in cap space, but it'd be against a dead-money hit of $3.57 million. A post-June 1 release designation would increase the savings to $4.6 million, yes, but San Francisco would be wiser to save its two June 1 cuts for other more-expensive player cuts, such as defensive tackle Javon Hargrave or even wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

The stronger likelihood is the 49ers simply let "Juice" play out the balance of his contract.

49ers are more or less handcuffed to Christian McCaffrey

It might not make much sense for the Niners to cut Juszczyk this offseason. But they're all but prevented from doing so with McCaffrey, who injuries in 2024 have helped derail San Francisco's offensive output.

Plus, with the 28-year-old All-Pro's season essentially over after suffering a Week 13 PCL injury, one can only wonder if the 49ers were wise to add onto his already position-high contract received last summer.

In hindsight, probably not.

That contract carries $8.5 million in guaranteed money in 2025, and an offseason release would not only cost the Niners more than $26 million in dead money next year, but it would put them in the salary-cap hole by an additional $16.56 million, too. Even with a post-June 1 release, San Francisco would still owe $13.5 million in dead money and would be in the red on the deal by $3.7 million.

The only way the 49ers can effectively move on from McCaffrey's contract is to wait until 2026, which creates a potential 2025 dilemma for Shanahan, as Niners Nation's Kyle Posey pointed out:

"McCaffrey earned his extension this past summer after putting up video game numbers in 2023. But the 49ers got an entire season out of a player who hadn’t managed a full season since 2019. The odds of McCaffrey replicating his 2023 health status were slim. Unfortunately, San Francisco did not reap the rewards right away.

Full recovery from a PCL injury could take anywhere as long as six months to up to a full year, depending on the severity. The 49ers didn’t have much of a choice but to shut McCaffrey down. Hopefully, after surgery and rehab, he will come back healthy in 2025.

Expecting McCaffrey to play another full season—he turns 29 in June—feels like wishful thinking. When McCaffrey is active, he’s the workhorse. When you are the workhorse, especially coming off multiple injuries, the probability of re-aggravating those goes up.

There isn’t a way to protect McCaffrey other than limiting his touches. As we saw against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, McCaffrey is far too effective only to give him the ball ten times. So, it puts Kyle Shanahan in a predicament. And since there’s a substantial financial commitment, there’s even more reason to feature McCaffrey."

The Niners knew they were taking a risk by adding money on McCaffrey's existing deal, even if they knew his 2023 output that earned him Offensive Player of the Year honors wasn't sustainable.

But the details of the revised contract effectively mean San Francisco is committed to him next season regardless of his health and availability.

So, if Lynch and Shanahan want to make roster moves to free up cap space, they'll have to look elsewhere.

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