Nick Bosa megadeal could turn these 49ers into cap casualties
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead
2024 cap hit: $25.63 million
The longest-tenured 49ers player, Arik Armstead, missed all but nine regular-season games last year because of injury. Fortunately for the Niners, he only counted for $9.576 million against the cap in 2022.
This year, though, San Francisco needs Armstead to be fully healthy because he's poised to earn up to $23.76 million, and that number increases by almost $2 million more in 2024.
Armstead is beyond the point where he carries any guaranteed money on his contract, however, and that presents prime opportunities for the 49ers to turn him into a cap casualty, should they so choose.
He already has two void years tacked on for 2025 and 2026. But a straight-up release during the 2024 offseason would save $11.55 million in cap space, albeit against a costly $14.08 million in dead money. If the Niners could somehow wait until after June 1 to make Armstead a cap casualty, the savings generated would be $18.26 million against only $7.37 in dead money.
Armstead's health this year might be the ultimate factor in determining his future with San Francisco after 2023.