Buffalo Bills' fire sale gives San Francisco 49ers a glimpse of what's on the horizon in 2025
The Buffalo Bills went all-in on their 2023 season and came up short in the divisional round of the playoffs. Now they are experiencing additional pain in the form of a fire sale that has seen them part with several mainstays of the roster. On Wednesday, it was reported that Buffalo plans to release All-Pro […]
The Buffalo Bills went all-in on their 2023 season and came up short in the divisional round of the playoffs. Now they are experiencing additional pain in the form of a fire sale that has seen them part with several mainstays of the roster.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Buffalo plans to release All-Pro corner Tre'Davious White, All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer and Pro Bowl center Mitch Morse, along with receiver and return specialist Deonte Harty and defensive back Siran Neal. The moves will save the Bills around $35 million in salary cap space as they strive to get under the cap. On top of that, ESPN's Field Yates reported the Bills have restructured the contract of edge rusher Von Miller, saving a further $8.64 million
Buffalo's string of cuts are the consequence of their final all-in season ending in disappointment and, for a team such as the San Francisco 49ers that is perennially in 'Super Bowl or bust' mode, they are a sign of what could be on the horizon next offseason.
The 49ers are, per Over The Cap, $285,281 over the salary cap. It's unlikely to be difficult to get under it and, with the help of restructures and contract extensions that will likely come in the not too distant future, San Francisco should have the cap space to make moves in free agency and sign its draft class.
But the pain for the 49ers, who will attempt to tie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a lucrative contract extension this year, will only be delayed until next offseason, when quarterback Brock Purdy will be eligible for an extension.
Purdy playing on a rookie contract has allowed the 49ers to keep stacking the deck around him with aggressive trades and free agent signings. After coming up agonizingly short in their overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 last month, the 49ers will likely look to push their chips into the middle of the table again, but 2025 may see several moves akin to those made by the Bills.
As it stands, the 49ers will have nine players with cap number of at least $14 million in 2025, while fullback Kyle Juszczyk is due to have a cap number of $7.58 million. Restructures and extensions that kick the can down the road will decrease the length of that list, however, with long-term deals for both Aiyuk and Purdy seemingly coming down the pike, it does not appear sustainable to have so many other highly paid stars on the roster.
The cap will be expected to increase again next offseason and, presuming he plays at a level that sees him earn a lucrative contract, the 49ers can offset the impact of Purdy's deal by backloading it and paying him a substantial signing bonus that can be prorated across the life of the contract while being paid up front.
That is the advantage of having an owner in Jed York who is not afraid to pay out such large bonuses in pursuit of the Super Bowl that continues to elude the Niners.
Yet eventually, the 49ers will have to pay the price of having so many talented players on long-term, expensive deals. That time is on the horizon and it is why there will be such an emphasis on nailing a 2024 draft in which the 49ers have 11 picks and, more pertinently, on finally getting over the line and lifting the Lombardi Trophy in Purdy's final cheap year.
If they do not do the latter, then the events of the 49ers' 2025 offseason could be a particularly difficult pill to swallow.
