The 49ers have to make some tough roster decisions this offseason, which means these four players could easily become cap casualties in 2025.
The 2024 San Francisco 49ers have been a massive disappointment.
With nothing short of a Super Bowl victory as a goal, the Niners have fallen short over the course of the year and are now staring at the reality of not even making the postseason after just barely missing out on a Lombardi Trophy last February.
That hard reality is paralleled by the fact general manager John Lynch's squad is comprised of aging, increasingly expensive players who may not factor into San Francisco's next Super Bowl window, whenever that might be.
The 49ers also have to weigh the costs associated with extending quarterback Brock Purdy, too, which could require a minimum of $50 million per year (perhaps more) once his current contract expires after the 2025 season.
So, executing some cost-saving measures is something Lynch and Co. need to consider now, especially knowing the Niners are projected to have just $6.76 million in cap space in 2026, second lowest in the league.
Here are four players San Francisco could turn into cap-casualty releases this upcoming offseason.
No. 1: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel
2025 cap hit: $15.96 million ($0 guaranteed)
Samuel cashed in on his epic All-Pro 2021 campaign the subsequent offseason, but it's safe to conclude he's come nowhere close to replicating those efforts in the years since.
Despite the 49ers suffering lengthy injuries to other key offensive players, including running back Christian McCaffrey and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk, Samuel has mostly failed to step up as the Niners' go-to option. His 531 receiving yards and one touchdown over 12 games doesn't scream top production, and his dual-threat ways have all but evaporated, evidenced by his ineffective 2.9 yards per rush attempt.
There are already suggestions about San Francisco potentially releasing Samuel with a post-June 1 designation, considering he carries zero in guaranteed money beyond 2024 and a cut of this kind would free up more than $27 million combined over the next two years.
With big money also committed to Aiyuk, plus the 49ers' 2024 draft addition of fellow receiver Ricky Pearsall, Samuel could easily be the odd man out.
No. 2: Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave
2025 cap hit: $28.1 million ($0 guaranteed)
In 2023, it made sense for the Niners to add an expensive and older free agent like Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, someone to plug the interior of the defensive line in a role that hadn't quite been solved since the trade departure of fan-favorite DeForest Buckner in 2020.
San Francisco knows what it's like to operate without Hargrave, since he landed on injured reserve with a triceps injury early in 2024. Considering he'll be 32 years old next season and will cost the 49ers up to $28 million, another post-June 1 release might be the way to go here.
Kyle Madson of the Niners Wire agreed:
"Hargrave’s release would cost the 49ers $24.86 million in dead cap next year, while saving them $3.245 million and opening a spot on the defensive line for a younger player to get snaps. Not to mention the additional $3 million in cap savings will be significant for a team that will have to carefully manage the cap with a sizable contract likely due soon for quarterback Brock Purdy.
They could also designate him as a post-June 1 cut where his dead cap number would fall to $7.375 million and the savings would leap to $20.73 million.
There’s still something in the tank for Hargrave who can still be productive on a good defensive line. The 49ers are just in a place now where the cap savings of cutting him may outweigh the reward of keeping him in red and gold for another season."
As far as getting younger and cheaper, few other would-be moves describe this as well as releasing Hargrave.
No. 3: Defensive end Leonard Floyd
2025 cap hit: $10.1 million ($0 guaranteed)
The Niners aimed to find a solid bookend on the D-line to pair with All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa, and grabbing veteran pass-rusher Leonard Floyd seemed like a brilliant move last offseason, especially considering the latter's consistent production over the previous few seasons.
Floyd has been decent, not spectacular, notching 6.5 sacks through 13 weeks. But he remains a liability against the run, and in the wake of Bosa missing time because of injuries, Floyd has proven he can't be a team's primary edge rusher.
Now, San Francisco can only use so many post-June 1 designations on player releases (just two per team per offseason), meaning if Lynch wanted to use this feature for both Samuel and Hargrave, doing so with a player like Floyd wouldn't be possible.
However, if Floyd was released with such a designation, it'd save the 49ers nearly $8 million in cap space against just over $2 million in dead money.
A straight-up release without the designation would still free up $1.48 million in space but against $8.6 million in dead money. However, the Niners may feel that roster spot and role would be more valuable if given to a younger player, such as defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.
No. 4: Punter Mitch Wishnowsky
2025 cap hit: $3.05 million ($0 guaranteed)
San Francisco has developed something of a nasty habit, drafting specialists when there were glaring needs elsewhere on the roster.
Injuries to kicker Jake Moody and punter Mitch Wishnowsky emphasize the point, as the 49ers managed to get by just fine with fill-in replacements for both for much of 2024, meaning the need to keep Wishnowsky around beyond this season simply isn't there. It'd be one thing if he was a Pro Bowl-caliber specialist, but that's not the case at all.
Considering how bad the Niners' special teams crop has been this season, wholesale changes could and should be welcomed.
Releasing Wishnowsky won't move the needle too much, at least in terms of San Francisco's cost-saving efforts. But it would free up $1.95 million against $1.1 million in dead money.
A cheap-but-reliable punter can easily be found on the free-agent market. Perhaps the 49ers already have one in Pat O'Donnell, currently filling in for the injured Wishnowsky.
All contractual and salary-cap information, courtesy of Over the Cap unless otherwise indicated.