49ers GM spills the beans on why the team is entering a reset year and makes it clear what led to this pivotal shift in direction
Nobody in the NFL spent more money than the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. In a season where the salary cap was $255.4 million, the 49ers threw around $334.454 million, one of only two teams that went above $230 million (the other one was the Cleveland Browns). This year will be different, though. There are […]
Nobody in the NFL spent more money than the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. In a season where the salary cap was $255.4 million, the 49ers threw around $334.454 million, one of only two teams that went above $230 million (the other one was the Cleveland Browns).
This year will be different, though. There are clear financial constraints, and general manager John Lynch won't hide them.
"You don't want to get to a point where you have to do things to keep your roster afloat," Lynch told local media at Stanford's Pro Day. "You want to have that flexibility. That's the one thing people should realize: We've been really blessed and fortunate that ownership has allowed us to go and last year we had such a good roster that we double-downed and said ‘Let’s go for this thing.’. We pushed kind of all the chips in knowing at some point you’d have to have the reset, and this was the year."
It's clear that CEO Jed York wants a cheaper version of the team, especially because a top contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy is on the way.
Deebo Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders, Jordan Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, and departures in free agency included players like Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Aaron Banks, Jaylon Moore, and Talanoa Hufanga.
There is still plenty of talent around the roster, but the group will have to be supplemented by cheaper pieces. Which is why the 49ers signed Luke Farrell, Richie Grant, Demarcus Robinson, Ter Brown, Jason Pinnock, Luke Gifford, Jon Weeks, Mac Jones, and Siran Neal.
"We like the adds we made," Lynch said. "It's not the biggest names, like years past, but we like the guys we've added to our team."
After two years spending in the top 10, the 49ers so far are projected to be 19th in cash spending in 2025, via Spotrac.
It's a new era of 49ers football. More than ever, the draft will be key to define the team's results over the next few years.
"The bottom line is you're always looking years out," Lynch pointed out. "As we forecasted, we obviously have some big things coming our way, and you have to clear the requisite room to be able to do that."
The San Francisco 49ers have eyes on several pass rushers in the 2025 NFL Draft following Joey Bosa signing with the Buffalo Bills
There are pass rushing options out there for the San Francisco 49ers.
