Contracts 49ers Must Consider Cutting in 2024 Offseason
The San Francisco 49ers have reached the final stage of the 2023-24 NFL postseason, and their focus is firmly on Super Bowl LVIII. However, general manager John Lynch and the 49ers must have at least one eye on the 2024 offseason.
The work never stops in the NFL, and San Francisco has a bit ahead of it entering the offseason. The 49ers are projected to have just $1.4 million in cap space, and they'll need to clear some room to operate in free agency and the draft.
Creating space won't be easy, as the 49ers have a Super Bowl-caliber roster that they won't want to tear down. However, Lynch and Co. do have a few options.
Here, we'll dive into three contracts that San Francisco must consider cutting ahead of the new league year in March.
OT Colton McKivitz
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The 49ers lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey in 2023 free agency and struggled to adequately replace him. San Francisco looked to Colton McKivitz for the challenge, but the 27-year-old largely disappointed.
McKivitz was credited with two penalties and nine sacks allowed by Pro Football Focus. While McGlinchey was far better in the run game than in pass protection—he allowed six sacks in 2022, per PFF—McGlinchey was even more of a liability.
Replacing McKivitz should be a top priority this offseason, and releasing him could help San Francisco financially afford a replacement. While McKivitz is only set to carry a cap hit of $2.5 million in 2024, cutting him would save $1.9 million of that.
The cap savings from this move wouldn't be massive, but San Francisco needs to upgrade the right side of its offensive line. The 49ers should view McKivitz as a mid-tier backup at best, and for a team up against the cap, the extra salary space could be far more valuable than the depth.
LB Dre Greenlaw
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If the 49ers weren't facing such a tricky cap situation, there's practically no way they'd consider parting with linebacker Dre Greenlaw. The 26-year-old was mostly good during the regular season (120 tackles, 1.5 sacks), and he snagged a pair of critical interceptions during the divisional round.
However, Greenlaw wasn't always dependable in coverage in 2023. Those two picks were huge, but he allowed an opposing passer rating of 100.5 during the regular season. He isn't an elite linebacker in the mold of teammate Fred Warner, and his 2024 cap hit is potentially problematic.
The final year of Greenlaw's contract is set to carry a cap hit of $9.6 million. Releasing him would trigger a $2.8 million dead-cap hit but would also save $6.8 million in cap space. Releasing Greenlaw with a post-June 1 designation would save $8.7 million in 2024 cap space.
Parting with Greenlaw would be tough to do, but Lynch is going to have some very difficult decisions this offseason.
CB Isaiah Oliver
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The 49ers may find it far easier to justify parting with cornerback Isaiah Oliver. San Francisco signed the 27-year-old to a two-year, $6.8 million contract last offseason, and while Oliver did appear in all 17 games, he wasn't a full-time contributor.
Oliver made just six starts and played just 47 percent of the defensive snaps. He wasn't exactly dependable when he was on the field either. Oliver allowed an opposing passer rating of 101.0 in coverage in 2023 while also allowing a completion rate of 84 percent.
Secondary depth is valuable, but a team chasing championships should want more reliability, even from its backups. While Oliver is set to carry a modest cap hit of $3.9 million, moving in a different direction would give Lynch just a bit more financial flexibility.
Releasing Oliver would trigger a $1.5 million dead-cap hit but would also clear $2.4 million in 2024 cap space. Releasing him with a post-June 1 designation would save $3.5 million.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
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