The Stevie Johnson era has ended in San Francisco. There was one?
The 49ers have cut Johnson in advance of a $250,000 roster bonus. The team announced the move on Thursday.
In his only season with the 49ers, Johnson appeared in 13 games with one start, caught 35 passes, gained 435 yards, and scored three touchdowns.
Johnson became expendable in Buffalo once the Bills drafted Sammy Watkins. Johnson had three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Bills before generating only 597 yards in 12 games in 2013.
The move clears Johnson’s $5.5 million salary and $275,000 workout bonus off the books, making Johnson a free agent. An obvious destination would be the Jets, given that Johnson’s breakout season came in Chan Gailey’s first season as the Buffalo head coach. Gailey is the new offensive coordinator with the Jets.
The decision to cut Johnson on the third day of the league suggests that the 49ers tried to work out a reduced contract and/or attempted to trade Johnson before cutting the cord.
