Updated 49ers salary-cap space on the year's biggest shopping day

The 49ers have been saving up in the salary-cap department, but a lot of that money is going to one big-ticket player in the not-too-distant future.

The San Francisco 49ers boast one of the more expensive rosters in the NFL this season with an effective salary cap number of $217,940,327.

While not as high as the Kansas City Chiefs or Atlanta Falcons, who are both atop the league in that category, it does illustrate the point that general manager John Lynch and Co. are spending a lot of money on a star-studded cast of players.

Somehow, though, the Niners also boast the NFL's biggest amount of salary cap space, currently.

With 12 weeks of football in the books, San Francisco has $52,056,571 in available cap space. That just over $7 million above the team with the second-highest cap amount, the Cleveland Browns, who are at $44.96 million.

Numbers may fluctuate as the remainder of the season continues, especially if the 49ers bring aboard any late-signing free agents to bolster what's been a banged-up roster. And the exact amount will change this upcoming offseason, too, when bonuses and such get factored into play. But those figures won't be too dramatic.

So, why are the Niners hoarding so much space at the moment.

49ers are saving up to extend Brock Purdy

Quarterback Brock Purdy is currently on the cheapest contract for any player drafted in 2022, which is what the case is for the final selection of that year's NFL Draft in the league's tiered contract system for drafted players.

His rookie deal expires after 2025, and he becomes eligible for an extension after his third year in the league.

While it's debatable whether or not Purdy should become the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, there's no doubting he'll command a hefty salary, perhaps in the range of $50 million per year.

Suddenly, that $52-plus million surplus San Francisco is expected to carry over becomes very, very important. Additionally, Lynch will need to budget funds to sign the 2025 draft class and any desired free agents who'll join the squad next year.

49ers aren't projected to have a lot of salary cap space in 2026

With no new deal for Purdy in place just yet, the 49ers are estimated to have $48.229 million in available space in 2025, which accounts for estimated adjustments but still puts the team in the bottom half of all 32 squads' salary-cap numbers..

The Niners' signal-caller's new salary might not eat up all of that available space, of course, as a signing bonus can be prorated over the duration of the contract, and yearly cap hits can be deferred to years when San Francisco anticipates it won't have an expensive roster.

But it's not hard to see the potential long-term challenges.

In 2026, the 49ers are estimated to have just under $5.6 million in available space, only a shade more than the Browns' league-low amount of $2.196 million.

That's the year when Purdy's new contract will take effect.

The Niners, of course, can navigate the challenges between now and 2026 through properly engineering Purdy's deal, extending or restructuring other player contracts, executing some tough roster cuts (cap casualties) and banking on the NFL salary cap increasing higher than originally predicted.

Right now, the 2026 cap is predicted to be $290 million, but the official number won't be announced by the NFL until February or March of that year.

Until that point, San Francisco can continue finding ways to save money.

All salary-cap figures and information, courtesy of Over the Cap.

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