The San Francisco 49ers face a challenging offseason with several players set to hit free agency in March. With quarterback Brock Purdy expected to sign the biggest contract in franchise history, the team won't be able to retain everyone they want.

General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan may also need to explore creative ways to free up additional salary cap space for the future. Although, with OverTheCap.com listing the 49ers with $41.5 million in effective cap space, there may not be a sense of urgency to do anything too drastic this year.

Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network recently identified the top cut candidates for each NFL team, naming defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, a prized free-agent acquisition from last year, as a potential cap casualty for the 49ers.

The 49ers are coming off a disappointing 6-11 campaign, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. However, Rolfe acknowledges that injuries derailed much of their season, giving the team some leeway in evaluating their performance.


Rolfe points out that San Francisco could save $7.8 million by designating Gross-Matos as a post-June 1 release, creating additional flexibility for offseason moves.

"Yetur Gross-Matos is one of the bigger-savings options and somewhat logical from a production-to-cost ratio," Rolfe explained. "He played only 34.5% of the snaps in 2024. He finished with four sacks and 10 pressures, which are far from ideal numbers, so there is not a huge case to be made for keeping him at that cost."

However, Rolfe acknowledges that the 49ers might not need to part with high-potential players just yet. While Gross-Matos recorded only four sacks in 2024, all came after he returned from injured reserve following a knee injury, and Lynch has praised the defensive end's potential.

Rolfe also named fullback Kyle Juszczyk and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave as potential cap casualties. Lynch has already confirmed plans to designate Hargrave as a post-June 1 release. Meanwhile, Juszczyk, the highest-paid fullback in the league, remains a frequent subject of cost-cutting speculation. He will have a $6.5 million cap hit in 2025, and the 49ers can see a $4.6 million savings with a post-June 1 release.

After the season, Juszczyk acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his future with the team.


"There hasn't been any discussion yet, but I am aware of the kind of situation that we have," Juszczyk said. "There's a lot up in the air and who's going to be here, who's not, some contracts that need to be figured out. So, I'm aware of that. I just hope it doesn't affect me."

Juszczyk remains confident in his abilities and is determined to win a championship, ideally with the 49ers.

"I want to win a ring," Juszczyk stated. "I want to win a ring here. But again, if I'm forced to do it somewhere else, I've still got so much football left in me. I still love the game so much. I'm still playing at a high level, and I know there's teams out there that can use me."
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