The 49ers' current contract commitments could be slowing down the club's negotiations with Deebo Samuel.
The 49ers do not have a problem spending up to the NFL salary cap, but things did not go as planned during the start of the offseason. Intentions to procure a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, with Trey Lance prepared to take the helm, screeched to a halt after the veteran underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder.
Garoppolo not being able to practice until at least July changed the minds of more than a few teams that had interest in the play-caller. Quarterback-needy clubs found other candidates, which left Garoppolo on the 49ers' payroll.
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The eight-year veteran still being on the roster accounts for a large portion of the 2022 cap, which went up nearly $26 million to $208.2 million after less revenue due to COVID-19 restrictions dropped the cap in 2021 for the first time in league history.
Garoppolo’s salary in 2021 equates to a cap hit of nearly $27 million if he is still on the roster in Week 1.
With a trade for Garoppolo not on the table with any other team, creating room extensions for both Nick Bosa and Samuel in the same season could be an incredible challenge for the 49ers' front office.
Garoppolo is not the only player who accounts for a sizable portion of the 49ers' salary. Trent Williams is the No. 1 earner on the team in average salary per year, via Spotrac.com.
- Trent Williams (six years, $138.06M)
- Jimmy Garoppolo (five years, $137.5M)
- Fred Warner (five years, $95.225M)
- Dee Ford (five years, $85.5M)
- Arik Armstead (five years, $85.0M)
- George Kittle (five years, $75M
- Charvarius Ward (three years, $40.5M)
- Trey Lance (four years, $34.1M)
- Nick Bosa (four years, $35.55M)
- Jimmie Ward (three years, $28.5M)
- Kyle Juszczyk (five years, $27M)
- Mike McGlinchey (four years, $18.34M)
Samuel is currently ranked 20th on the team, with an average pay of $1.81 million per year. The “wide-back” still has one year left on his four-year rookie deal that is worth $7.247 million. The playmaker's salary of nearly $4 million in 2022 will be his highest payout yet.
San Francisco 49ers
Dee Ford accounts for another large portion of the team’s payroll. While at the NFL Annual Meeting at the end of March, John Lynch revealed that the edge rusher would likely never put on a 49ers uniform again due to complications from a neck and back injury.
Since signing a five-year $85.5 million deal to join the 49ers, Ford has only been healthy enough to play 378 defensive snaps and 13 on special teams. The pass rusher’s average salary of $17.1 million is restricting the club's negotiating ability.
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With wide receiver contracts at a fever pitch across the league, it would be understandable for Samuel to demand a sizable extension, especially as a dominant force on the offense. In his third season with the 49ers, Samuel earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after a 77 catch, 1,405-yard regular-season performance that also included 14 all-purpose touchdowns.
The 49ers' current inability, or unwillingness, to match the level of compensation of star receivers around the league could be the reason that Samuel eliminated most images associated with the club from his social media on Wednesday.
There's still plenty of time for both sides to work out a deal, but until then, speculation about Samuel's future will remain.