As they continue to pursue that elusive sixth Super Bowl ring, the San Francisco 49ers have had to spend a lot of money lately.
Contracts for All-Pros Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams put the 49ers on the hook for more than $200 million.
NFL analyst Field Yates reports the 49ers have restructured the contract of wide receiver Deebo Samuel to create $16.4 million in cap space to accommodate those deals. Samuel was scheduled to make $20.9 million in base salary in 2024 with a $28.633 million cap hit.
The 49ers have converted most of his salary this season to a signing bonus, lowering his cap hit to $12.2 million for 2024, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic.
Samuel, named All-Pro himself following the 2021 season, is under contract through the 2025 season. He signed a three-year, $71.55 million extension, with $58.1 million guaranteed, in the summer of 2022.
With the signing of Aiyuk and the 49ers drafting of Ricky Pearsall in the first round of this year’s draft, Samuel’s future in San Francisco is uncertain.
He was drafted by San Francisco in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In five seasons with the 49ers, Samuel has 283 receptions for 4,122 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s also been a vital part of San Francisco’s rushing attack, with 160 attempts for 1,007 yards and 19 TDs.
San Francisco has also restructured the contract of defensive tackle Maliek Collins to create an additional $5.432 million in cap room.
The 49ers open the regular season against the New York Jets on Monday, September 9.
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