49ers Rumors: Dee Ford Restructures Contract to Create Nearly $5M in Cap Space

The San Francisco 49ers and veteran defensive end Dee Ford agreed to restructure his contract ahead of the 2022 NFL season, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

Yates reported the move will add nearly $5 million in new salary-cap space for San Francisco this offseason.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the move is that the Niners remain committed to Ford for the time being.

The team acquired Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2019 and immediately handed him a five-year, $85 million contract. He was coming off a career year at the time, finishing with 13 sacks and an NFL-high seven forced fumbles to earn his first Pro Bowl nod.

The 30-year-old has since struggled to make an impact in the Bay Area. In just 18 appearances over three seasons, he has 22 tackles, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner wrote last August how the 49ers envisioned Ford as "a franchise centerpiece for years to come" but that "those expectations are gone, buried under a pile of injury-driven stops and starts."

This is the second time San Francisco has worked with Ford to make his deal a little more team-friendly. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported in March 2021 the two sides agreed to what was effectively a new two-year, $24 million pact.

At this point, Ford represents a sunk cost relative to what the Niners were expecting, but he could still have value in a limited role. Over 106 total defensive snaps in 2021, he had three sacks and four hits on the quarterback.

Cutting Ford entirely wouldn't help balance the books too much. Per Over the Cap, a pre-June 1 release would saddle San Francisco with $14.4 million in dead money and add $2.5 million to the cap. A post-June 1 cut would translate to $2.4 million in savings with $9.5 million in dead money.

Keeping Ford, albeit with a slightly lower cap hit, is making the best of a tough situation.