The San Francisco 49ers were expected to carry $1 million in dead money as a result of left tackle Joe Staley's retirement. It turns out, the former offensive lineman will count twice that against the salary cap in 2020, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
In addition to the $1 million in dead money, Staley will collect another $1 million in an injury settlement. The news isn't a big surprise. The 49ers released Staley on May 1 with an injury settlement in a move that was assumed to be for salary-cap purposes.
Staley retired following a season plagued by injuries. In addition to a fractured fibula and broken finger, the tackle played through the end of the season, playoffs, and Super Bowl LIV while dealing with a neck injury.
"It got to the point where in the Super Bowl, I'd make contact with my head with anybody; from the base of my head down to my back, I'd have just a zing, and my arms would go numb," Staley said during the during the Bussin' with the Boys podcast. "I had herniations at a bunch of different levels and really severe stenosis."
It was that most-recent injury that led to Staley's decision to retire. A conversation with a specialist, Dr. Robert G. Watkins in Los Angeles, during the weeks following the Super Bowl revealed how serious the neck injury was, and that continuing to play would likely lead to future mobility limitations.
Staley added: "He was like, 'If you're going to continue to play football, you're probably going to have to have fusion surgery on multiple levels.'"
Staley appeared in 181 regular-season games, 11 playoff matchups, and two Super Bowls during his 13-year career.
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