The 49ers have come to terms on a deal to restructure veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith’s contract, a league source told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday.
The agreement, first reported by the NFL Network, reduces Smith's pay for the upcoming season. His status on the 49ers' roster was in question due to the size of his contract and the two injury-plagued seasons since signing with the 49ers.
The organization had high hopes for Smith, but he has started just five games in two years. Smith was among the first free-agent signings of John Lynch’s tenure as the 49ers' general manager. His five-year, $26.2 million contract was also one of the biggest of the team's 2017 offseason. Smith is scheduled to make $4 million in salary and bonuses in 2019 with a cap hit of just over $5.4 million.
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However, things have not gone according to plan for Smith and the 49ers. He spent his entire first season with the team on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. He played in 12 games in 2018, but was used only sparingly due to a nagging Achilles injury. He turns 30 in July.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about the undetermined status of Smith while at the NFL Scouting Combine last week in Indianapolis.
“He’s still not fully healthy yet, so we are waiting to figure that out,” Shanahan said. “We need to get him in to find that out. Yeah, we do have a decision to make with Malcolm. He battled a lot of stuff last year, came into camp hurt and never healed.
San Francisco 49ers
“Really hoping that we can get some answers on that over the next month or so, which can help us make a better decision.”
Matt Maiocco contributed to this report.