49ers’ salary-cap outlook and how it applies to Brock Purdy’s contract and to Brandon Aiyuk’s future

After the San Francisco 49ers lost a Super Bowl, they traded DeForest Buckner, a star defensive tackle, the following month, acquiring a first-round pick and gaining financial flexibility to re-sign other key players.

The decision was framed as necessary for constructing a roster that could compete for titles within the constraints of the salary cap. Fast forward four years, and star receiver Brandon Aiyuk, in a similar contractual situation as Buckner was in 2020, entering the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, is now sparking speculation about another potential trade. To assess the likelihood of such a move, let’s delve into the 49ers’ financial standing, setting the stage for this offseason’s decisions.

In recent years, the San Francisco 49ers have capitalized on the NFL’s increasing salary cap, consistently incorporating high-value contracts each offseason. Presently, they face a considerable financial commitment, with $163 million allocated to just nine players in 2024. While their strategy of prioritizing top-tier talent has been viable thus far, a potential turning point looms on the horizon. By 2025, quarterback Brock Purdy is poised for a substantial new contract, which could necessitate a reassessment of their financial approach.

In 2022, Brock Purdy inked his entry-level contract with the San Francisco 49ers, securing a four-year deal valued at slightly over USD 3.7 million. This arrangement entailed an annual base salary of USD 870,000 for the quarterback.

Should the projected salary cap of $250 million come to fruition, the 49ers might find themselves with approximately $7.5 million in available cap space, based on an early assessment of their 53-man roster. This augmented cap room could carry significant weight, especially as negotiations loom for quarterback Brock Purdy’s next contract. Given Purdy’s stellar performance in the previous season, he is unquestionably poised for a considerable salary escalation.

Analogizing the San Francisco 49ers’ financial situation to a sink filling with water illustrates their delicate balance between incoming resources and outgoing expenditures. While the rising salary cap continuously replenishes the pool of available funds, akin to water flowing from a faucet, the team must also manage the drainage to prevent overflow. Unused cap space carries over, but the 49ers must avoid exceeding their capacity. Speculation arises regarding quarterback Brock Purdy’s impending contract, prompting consideration of adjusting the drainage system ahead of schedule.

Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have not firmly committed to a specific course of action for this offseason. However, they have expressed a commitment to retaining the team’s core of star players, including Brandon Aiyuk, for the 2024 season. This stance contrasts with Lynch’s definitive statement last year, ruling out the possibility of trading edge rusher Nick Bosa at that time.

“Yeah, there’s some challenges,” Lynch said last week. “I hope so. I think we’re set up to do that. It takes putting the whole thing together and there’s also things we have to plan for going forward. So, you can’t just be reckless, and we never will be.”

The NFL has yet to unveil the specifics of the 2024 salary cap, but there’s speculation it could soar close to $250 million, representing an 11.2 percent increase from the previous year’s $224.8 million figure. This potential uptick should bode well for the San Francisco 49ers, who already plan to carry over approximately $38 million in unused cap space from the prior season. The final cap figure will dictate the extent of their financial flexibility to enhance their roster.

If the cap indeed reaches $250 million, the 49ers would possess roughly $7.5 million in available cap room based on an initial projection of their 53-man roster, with 12 roster spots yet to be filled. It’s essential to note that these figures are preliminary estimates and subject to change pending the official announcement of the salary cap size.