Despite riches of talent, 49ers still have a relatively inexpensive offense

The 49ers are spending less on their offense than you might have been led to believe.

The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the deepest and best cast of offensive players in the NFL heading into 2024.

Surprisingly, though, it's not the most expensive offense in the league.

One might think it would be. After all, the Niners have dished out top-dollar contracts to many of their star offensive players. Not long ago, tight end George Kittle and left tackle Trent Williams commanded new deals that made them the highest-paid players at their respective positions. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel's 2022 contract extension also put him in the top five at his position, too.

Recently, San Francisco doubled down on running back Christian McCaffrey, increasing his payout despite the reigning Offensive Player of the Year also being the No. 1 most-paid tailback in league history.

A roster chock full of talented veterans is almost always going to equate to a hefty payroll, right?

Well, not exactly in the 49ers' case.

49ers have 8th most expensive offense in NFL

The Niners don't have the league's most expensive offense. They're not even in the top five.

No, according to Sharp Football Analysis, San Francisco enters 2024 with the eighth most expensive offense:

According to the findings, the 49ers' offensive payroll this season is $147.5 million, and the top 10 are as follows:

1. $191.0M - Browns
2. $190.7M - Rams
3. $170.7M - Chiefs
4. $158.7M - Cowboys
5. $151.5M - Falcons
6. $149.8M - Giants
7. $149.3M - Colts
8. $147.5M - 49ers
9. $146.2M - Panthers
10. $140.8M - Bengals

The least expensive offense in the league is the Green Bay Packers, coming in at $78.4 million.

It's not hard to figure out why the Niners' offense isn't that expensive, and it doesn't have to do too much with Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk begrudgingly taking a pay cut.

You might have guessed, but star quarterback Brock Purdy is awfully cheap, set to earn a shade over $1 million this season on year three of the rookie contract signed after being the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Purdy's earnings still don't even count against the top-51 rule, according to Over the Cap, which measures the 51 biggest contracts for each team during the offseason to measure against the salary cap.

This has allowed San Francisco to splurge in other areas. However, as soon as Purdy ends up receiving what'll be a lucrative contract extension that could pay him in the range of $50 million per year, it's understandable why the 49ers offense winds up being much closer to the top than near the middle.

For now, though, the Niners are saving money, relatively speaking.

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