HEADLINES

San Francisco 49ers News & Rumors

At Least Five Teams Interested In 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

July 19th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers are starting to become notorious for having some of the stingiest purse strings in the NFL. The latest example sees the team go toe-to-toe with yet another star wide receiver in contract negotiations; this time, it’s Brandon Aiyuk. In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show today, Mike Florio of NBC Sports revealed that at least five teams had shown a willingness to pay Aiyuk his asking price.

Florio’s tidbit is a little out of context for the current situation but is still relevant. According to Florio, during the draft, Aiyuk and his camp asked for permission to gauge interest in Aiyuk’s value around the league. His agent was given permission to see how much other teams would be willing to pay Aiyuk, and five teams were willing to meet his asking price at the time of $28MM per year.

Since then, new deals for receivers such as Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, and Justin Jefferson have vastly shifted the wide receiver-market. Aiyuk, who finished seventh in the league in receiving yards last year (1,342), may not have the stats to reach the payday of some of the players above him, but one must consider two other contributing factors.

First, after missing four games his rookie season (two with COVID-19), Aiyuk has only missed one game in the following three years. Second, Aiyuk is putting up the numbers he’s putting up without being the main focal point of the offense. Even throwing aside star players like running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle, Aiyuk didn’t even get the most opportunities in the wide receivers room. While Aiyuk outpaced Deebo Samuel with 105 targets to Samuel’s 89, Samuel had 37 rushing attempts on top of that.

Aiyuk producing as much as he has in four years while being a third option of four star players should certainly have an impact on his asking price. Imagine the numbers Aiyuk would be able to put up had he the target share of a CeeDee Lamb or a Jefferson. Aiyuk’s contributions over his first four years could be considered comparable to those of Waddle, who recently received a three-year deal averaging $28.25MM a year with the Dolphins.

Now, having requested a trade, the 49ers face the consequences of allowing Aiyuk to theoretically test the market. Not only are there going to be teams willing to give Aiyuk the payday he deserves, but those teams are also going to be willing to give something up in order to obtain his rights in the first place, giving San Francisco little wiggle room to negotiate the price down.

Aiyuk’s situation is becoming a familiar one in San Francisco. Playing the compliant team player has gotten him nowhere in his contract negotiations. To move the needle, Aiyuk made the call to model his behavior after that of two 49ers who did receive paydays in recent years: Samuel and pass rusher Nick Bosa. Both players needed to get creative in negotiations, with Samuel requesting a trade and Bosa holding out at camp. As Florio so aptly worded it, “We’ve seen that you’ve got to be the squeaky wheel to get paid by the 49ers.”

Regardless, there is a market for Aiyuk in the NFL. The 49ers are not bidding against themselves, though their goal of $26MM-27MM suggests that they believe they’re negotiating in a vacuum. Just days ago, we saw the Patriots make inquiries into acquiring Aiyuk. The Commanders and Steelers were also considered contenders to land the wide receiver at some point. Aiyuk will get paid somewhere in the near future. The 49ers just have to decide if they want to open the pocketbook or let someone else pay Aiyuk.

The NFL’s Eight-Figure Dead Money Hits For 2024

July 18th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL moved into new territory this offseason, with one Broncos decision creating a staggering gap between the most costly dead money hits and No. 2 on the all-time list. Beyond Denver’s Russell Wilson release, other teams are taking on notable dead cap hits in 2024. Here are the players who will account for more than $10MM in dead money on teams’ payrolls this year.

  1. Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $53MM
  2. Stefon Diggs, WR (Bills): $31.1MM
  3. Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $28.5MM
  4. Haason Reddick, EDGE (Eagles) $21.52MM
  5. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks) $20.83MM
  6. J.C. Jackson, CB (Chargers): $20.83MM
  7. David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $18.15MM
  8. Danielle Hunter, EDGE (Vikings): $14.91MM
  9. Carlton Davis, CB (Buccaneers) $14.1MM
  10. Andrus Peat, OL (Saints): $13.64MM
  11. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $13.36MM
  12. Mike Williams, WR (Chargers): $12.46MM
  13. Aaron Jones, RB (Packers): $12.36MM
  14. Chandler Jones, EDGE (Raiders): $12.27MM
  15. Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $12.19MM
  16. Keenan Allen, WR (Chargers): $11.62MM
  17. Xavien Howard, CB (Dolphins): $11.41MM
  18. Michael Thomas, WR (Saints): $11.19MM
  19. Laken Tomlinson, G (Jets): $10.74MM
  20. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $10.64MM
  21. Arik Armstead, DL (49ers) $10.31MM
  22. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $10.26MM
  23. Byron Jones, CB (Dolphins): $10.1MM
  24. Maliek Collins, DT (Texans): $10MM

Months after trading for Wilson, the Broncos gave the decorated quarterback a five-year, $245MM extension. While Wilson offered something of a bounce-back effort from a shockingly mediocre 2022, Sean Payton‘s team still opted to designate him as a post-June 1 cut. Wilson’s $37MM injury guarantee, which the Broncos attempted to move in an effort that led to NFLPA involvement but no grievance, would have resulted in comparable dead money in 2025 had he remained on Denver’s roster on Day 5 of the 2024 league year and then been released next year.

The Broncos will receive a small cap credit — due to Wilson’s veteran minimum Steelers deal — in 2025, but the team will take on more than $83MM in total dead money from the release. This shatters the NFL record for dead money, which the Falcons previously held by trading Matt Ryan ($40.5MM), and the contract will remain on Denver’s books through the 2025 season. The Broncos opted to take on more dead money this year than next, separating this post-June 1 cut from most teams’ strategies.

The Bills’ decision to trade Diggs less than two years after giving him a four-year extension broke the non-QB dead money record. Unlike the Wilson matter, Buffalo will take on the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s full dead cap hit this year. Ditto Green Bay, which passed on a Bakhtiari post-June 1 designation. The Chargers will also be rid of the Allen and Williams responsibilities after 2024. The Seahawks also passed on post-June 1 designations with Adams and Diggs.

New Orleans has Thomas set to count more than $9MM in dead money in 2025 as well due to using the June 1 strategy. The Dolphins are still paying out the Jones contract from a 2023 post-June 1 designation, while Howard’s post-June 1 status will create a $15.7MM dead money penalty in 2025.

Void years created the Vikings’ Cousins cap hit. After attempting to negotiate a fourth contract with the veteran quarterback last year, the parties failing to come to terms resulted in void years being added in a restructure. The Falcons came in much higher than the Vikings were willing to go, guarantee-wise, leading Minnesota to a new QB path and significant Cousins dead money.

The Eagles also included three void years on Reddick’s contract, and the Buccaneers will eat some Evans dead money — despite re-signing the 11th-year wide receiver just before free agency — due to a void year-driven trigger before the latest contract was signed.

Largest 2024 Cap Hits: Defense

July 17th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

As veteran report dates for training camps near, NFL payrolls are largely set. Extension- and trade-related matters remain, but as far as high cap numbers go, the list will not change much between now and Week 1. After we ran down the top cap charges on the offensive side of the ball last week, here are the highest 2024 figures tied to defenders:

  1. Maxx Crosby, EDGE (Raiders): $30.48MM
  2. T.J. Watt, EDGE (Steelers): $30.42MM
  3. Kenny Clark, DL (Packers): $27.49MM
  4. Joey Bosa, EDGE (Chargers): $26.11MM
  5. Khalil Mack, EDGE (Chargers): $25.39MM
  6. Montez Sweat, EDGE (Bears): $25.09MM
  7. Harold Landry, EDGE (Titans): $23.8MM
  8. Jaire Alexander, CB (Packers): $23.49MM
  9. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $22.88MM
  10. Tremaine Edmunds, LB (Bears): $22.44MM
  11. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.41MM
  12. Jeffery Simmons, DL (Titans): $21.65MM
  13. Daron Payne, DL (Commanders): $21.61MM
  14. Jonathan Allen, DL (Commanders): $21.44MM
  15. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Steelers): $21.36MM
  16. Vita Vea, DL (Buccaneers): $20.97MM
  17. DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE (Cowboys): $20.46MM
  18. Quinnen Williams, DL (Jets): $20.4MM
  19. Grady Jarrett, DL (Falcons): $20.38MM
  20. Myles Garrett, EDGE (Browns): $20.17MM
  21. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE (Bengals): $20.17MM
  22. Derwin James, S (Chargers): $19.86MM
  23. Budda Baker, S (Cardinals): $19.03MM
  24. Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): $18.4MM
  25. Marcus Williams, S (Ravens): $18.03MM

While a handful of quarterbacks are set to break the single-player record for cap hit — after this offseason’s $30.6MM cap spike — this year’s defensive hits do not check in on that level. Crosby and Watt are at $30MM, but those numbers do not match last year’s top defender cap hit — attached to then-Giants D-lineman Leonard Williams ($32.26MM). With Aaron Donald now in the dead money category following his retirement and Chris Jones extended, some new faces have climbed toward the top of this list.

The Raiders gave Crosby a $6MM 2024 pay bump to reward a former Day 3 pick who has unlocked another level while attached to an extension signed in 2022. Rather than greenlight a new deal for their top defender, the Raiders moved money around on his through-2026 extension to accommodate a rising market. This season now marks the highest cap hit on this Crosby contract.

Although the Chargers worked out pay-cut agreements with Bosa and Mack, both edge rushers are still among the most expensive — cap-wise — players in the league. The March reductions, however, moved Bosa’s cap number down from $36.6MM and lowered Mack’s from $38.5MM. With James tied to the second-highest 2024 safety figure, Jim Harbaugh‘s team — while clearing out costs on offense — remains among the top defensive spenders.

Two years remain on Watt’s deal, which has paid out its guaranteed money. With Nick Bosa having secured a defender-record extension and lower-production players — compared to Watt, at least — Brian Burns and Josh Allen surpassing the future Hall of Famer’s 2021 extension, a third Steelers-Watt agreement will likely be rumored soon. Heyward has expressed interest in a fourth Steelers contract, which would reduce his lofty cap figure, but the accomplished veteran has not heard much from the team’s side on this matter.

The Packers have begun talks with Clark on what would be a third extension. His current $17.5MM-per-year contract has fallen to 15th among active D-linemen. A new deal would update that figure for a reliable starter while reducing his 2024 cap hit. Despite rumors about the Pack separating from Alexander coming out in December, GM Brian Gutekunst shot down any such move associated with the league’s highest-paid corner.

Baker requested a trade last year, eyeing a deal closer to the James-Fitzpatrick level. The longtime Cardinal DB is in the final year of an extension agreed to back in 2020. Although the Cardinals are rebuilding, Baker has remained part of Jonathan Gannon‘s team. He expressed hope to stay in Arizona beyond 2024, and the Cardinals have the contract-year safety — the team’s longest-tenured starter, now that D.J. Humphries is off the roster — on the team going into his age-28 season.

49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Requests Trade

July 16th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

With talks between Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers still failing to generate progress, a formal trade request has now emerged. The contract-year wideout is seeking a move to a new team, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Aiyuk’s future has been one of the central storylines of the 2024 NFL offseason. The 26-year-old has long been seeking an extension at a price point San Francisco has not yet been willing to meet. Team and player recently met, and those in-person talks staved off a trade request for a brief time. The opposite is now true, however.

[RELATED: Patriots Discuss WR With 49ers]

While the recent Aiyuk summit generated optimism, it was reported earlier this month that no tangible progress on the negotiation front had emerged. Indeed, Garafolo confirms the 49ers have not engaged in a fresh round of contract talks since May. Given today’s news, it is apparent Aiyuk has not shifted his stance with respect to his value on a long-term deal, something which has already been adjusted in the wake of other blockbuster receiver contracts.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), A.J. Brown (Eagles), and Justin Jefferson (Vikings) have each inked deals this offseason with an annual average value above $30MM. Aiyuk has been connected to an asking price matching the $88.7MM in full guarantees Jefferson secured on his historic extension. For now, the Arizona State product is due to collect $14.12MM in 2024 as he plays out his fifth-year option.

Aiyuk did not have a smooth acclimation period as he began his career under Kyle Shanahan, but he has emerged as one of the league’s top young receivers over the past two seasons. The former first-rounder has totaled 153 catches, 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns during that span, helping the 49ers go on deep postseason runs each year since 2021. San Francisco already has fellow skill-position players Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel on the books, though, and quarterback Brock Purdy will be eligible for a second contract next offseason.

Samuel (under contract through 2025) and Aiyuk were trade targets during the draft, but no deals were finalized. General manager John Lynch has remained steadfast that no consideration will be given to a trade in either case at this point, a stance which was logical in the absence of a formal request from Aiyuk. The latter has been outspoken on social media in recent weeks, and he named the Steelers and Commanders as hypothetical destinations if his 49ers tenure were to come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms a trade is still not on the table from San Francisco’s perspective.

Of course, Lynch is no stranger to dealing with situations such as this one. Samuel asked for a trade two years ago before ultimately agreeing to a multi-year San Francisco deal. Last offseason, Nick Bosa held out from training camp while attempting to exert leverage on a monster deal of his own. He ended up signing an eleventh-hour extension just before the start of the regular season, with the team agreeing to a record-breaking commitment on the defensive side of the ball.

Whether or not San Francisco is again willing to make a lucrative investment will be interesting to monitor over the coming days as it pertains to Aiyuk. Veterans report to the 49ers’ training camp in one week, and whether or not today’s move yields progress on the negotiating front will be a key storyline to follow.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/16/24

July 16th, 2024 at 6:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

The active versions of these injury lists only impact players’ availability for practices before the regular season. Players can be moved off the active/PUP or active/NFI lists at any point over the next month-plus. Should a player be left on a PUP or NFI list when a team finalizes a 53-man roster — as the Ravens are expected to with running back Keaton Mitchell — he must miss at least four games.

Pearsall’s undisclosed injury is not viewed as a malady that should keep the first-rounder out long term, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. The Florida alum is expected to join Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, the latter’s trade request notwithstanding, this season and profiles as a long-term replacement for one of the two players — depending on how San Francisco handles its receiver contract glut — come 2025. Pearsall participated in the 49ers’ offseason program; it would be a surprise if he became a candidate for the reserve/PUP list.

49ers Expecting To Start Season Without LB Dre Greenlaw

July 13th, 2024 at 10:24pm CST by Ely Allen

49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw has known for a while that he faces long odds of returning from injury in time for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl, Greenlaw has been working his way back to the field slowly. As the regular season approaches, though, it’s becoming more and more clear that San Francisco will need to look elsewhere to start the year.

According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the 49ers have been operating under the assumption that they’ll be starting the year without Greenlaw since they entered the offseason. Initially, the team made moves to acquire Eric Kendricks, planning to utilize him in that weakside linebacker role as Greenlaw continued to recover. Kendricks opted instead to sign with the Cowboys, changing his mind after coming to an agreement with San Francisco.

With Kendricks out, the Niners signed recent Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell has spent most of his career as one of two inside linebackers in 3-4 defensive fronts, so he’ll face a slight adjustment in San Francisco’s base 4-3 scheme. The consensus after the spring is that Campbell will start off the year in Greenlaw’s weakside linebacker position until Greenlaw is able to come off of the injured list (likely the physically unable to perform list), then Campbell will transition to the strongside role.

To fill that strongside role until Campbell comes over, San Francisco has several options. There are three veterans — Zeke Turner, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, and Curtis Robinson — on the roster, but all three have established themselves as special teamers over the past few years, though Turner and Flannigan-Fowles do have a few starts under their belt. Three young, late-round draft picks make up the rest of the room. Last year’s seventh-round pick Jalen Graham saw extremely reserved time last season, while this year’s seventh-round rookie Tatum Bethune may not be asked to step into that big of a role this quickly.

Last year’s sixth-round pick out of TCU, Dee Winters, though, has been tabbed by starting middle linebacker Fred Warner as a player to watch. Though Winters played in 15 games last season, he played sparingly on the defense. This spring, though, Warner called out Winters as having “the best (organized team activities) out of anybody on the team.”

If Winters continues to be a strong contributor throughout training camp, he may end up getting elevated from special teamer to starter to open the year. Winters may be able to provide the 49ers with the temporary bandage they need to cover for the absence of Greenlaw until he returns from a probable PUP stint. If not, they may need to explore more veteran options on the free agent market or rely upon a veteran of their own.

Largest 2024 Cap Hits: Offense

July 12th, 2024 at 10:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL’s salary cap ceiling was expected to see a large increase this offseason, but estimates proved to be on the low side. A record-setting jump resulted in a cap of $255.4MM for teams to work with.

That has resulted in new waves of spending at a few positions, with quarterbacks and receivers seeing continued growth at the top of the market. Last offseason offered a strong chance of the league seeing at least one $40MM-plus cap charge, but the Browns avoided such a scenario with a Deshaun Watson restructure. Owing to that move – and the lack of further adjustments this spring – however, Watson’s financial impact is set to grow considerably this season.

Here are the league’s top cap charges on offense leading up to training camp:

  1. Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $63.77MM
  2. Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $55.13MM
  3. Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $49.5MM
  4. Kyler Murray, QB (Cardinals): $49.12MM
  5. Daniel Jones, QB (Giants): $47.86MM
  6. Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): 37.01MM
  7. Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $32.4MM
  8. Trent Williams, LT (49ers): $31.57MM
  9. Tyreek Hill, WR (Dolphins): $31.32MM
  10. Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $30.36MM
  11. Cooper Kupp, WR (Rams): $29.78MM
  12. Taylor Moton, RT (Panthers): $29.75MM
  13. Joe Burrow, QB (Bengals): $29.55MM
  14. Deebo Samuel, WR (49ers): $28.63MM
  15. Chris Godwin, WR (Buccaneers): $27.53MM
  16. Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $27.21MM
  17. Joe Thuney, LG (Chiefs): $26.97MM
  18. Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks): $26.4MM
  19. Laremy Tunsil, LT (Texans): $25.86MM
  20. Davante Adams, WR (Raiders): $25.35MM
  21. Quenton Nelson, LG (Colts): $25.2MM
  22. Kirk Cousins, QB (Falcons): $25MM
  23. Jawaan Taylor, RT (Chiefs): $24.73MM
  24. D.K. Metcalf, WR (Seahawks): $24.5MM
  25. Christian Kirk, WR (Jaguars): $24.24MM

Watson’s figure will shatter the NFL record for the largest single-season cap charge if no adjustments are made in the coming weeks. The hits for Prescott, Murray, Stafford and Jones also would have set a new benchmark if not for the Browns passer, a sign of the QB market’s continued upward trajectory. Cleveland is set to remain in a similar situation for the next three years as Watson plays out his fully guaranteed $230MM deal.

Prescott’s future is one of several important questions the Cowboys need to answer relatively soon. With CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons due for second contracts, an extension for the three-time Pro Bowler will need to take into account future commitments. While Prescott has considerable leverage (via no-tag and no-trade clauses), he joins Jones in facing an uncertain post-2024 future in the NFC East.

The latter saw the Giants make an effort to trade up for a quarterback in April and he reacted in an understandable manner. Jones’ $40MM-per-year 2023 extension remains the dominant storyline surrounding the team, and a decision on retaining him or moving on will need to be made prior to a potential out early next offseason. Murray’s performance this fall will likewise be worth watching; he has received consistent praise from head coach Jonathan Gannon, but he will aim to put together a fully healthy season following 2023’s truncated campaign.

Stafford and the Rams have a mutual desire to continue their relationship, but he is seeking guarantees beyond the 2024 campaign. The 36-year-old’s representatives have been in discussion on a resolution during the offseason, although even in the absence of one a training camp holdout is not expected. The likes of Mahomes, Jackson and Allen retain a place in the top 25, and the same will no doubt be true of Burrow for years to come.

Of the receivers listed, only Hill is known to be actively pursuing a new deal. The 30-year-old once led the receiver market with a $30MM AAV, a figure inflated by non-guaranteed money at the end of the pact. With the bar having been raised to new heights this offseason, Hill could join teammate Jaylen Waddle in securing a new payday. Since the team has a Tua Tagovailoa extension on the horizon, however, Miami could hesitate on the Hill front.

It come as little surprise that Williams tops the list for offensive linemen. The 11-time Pro Bowler has been mentioned in retirement rumors before, but playing to age 40 is now a goal. Meeting it could require future contract adjustments. Samuel’s future in the Bay Area was a talking point this offseason as the team attempts to keep Brandon Aiyuk in the fold. One of the high-profile wideouts may be playing for a new team for the first time in their career in 2025.

Elsewhere along the O-line, Moton and Taylor demonstrate the value seen at the right tackle spot in recent years. Given the developments of the guard market this offseason, though, the likes of Thuney and Nelson will have competition for spots on the list in future years. Similarly, the non-Hill wideouts could easily be surpassed in the future with a further additions set to be made (particularly by Lamb, Aiyuk and Ja’Marr Chase) at the top of the ever-increasing market.

Goff joined the $50MM-per-year club on his third NFL deal, whereas Cousins continued to add to his impressive NFL earnings by joining the Falcons. If healthy, the latter could prove to be an effective pickup for a team aiming to return to the postseason (while quieting questions about a transition to Michael Penix Jr. under center). Smith also has plenty riding on this season with a new Seahawks coaching staff in place which incrementally arrived at the decision he will serve as the starter in 2024.

NFC Front Office Updates: Biehl, 49ers, Powell

July 12th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Another Biehl has entered the NFL ranks of scouting as Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com tells us that Nate Biehl has joined the staff in San Francisco. Biehl’s dad, Mike Biehl, is currently the director of player personnel for the Buccaneers.

Biehl had been working for his dad’s team in Tampa Bay as a video intern while finishing school at nearby South Florida. He joins the 49ers as the team’s new NFS scout, following in his father’s personnel footsteps.

Here are a few other personnel updates from around the NFC:

  • The 49ers made two other updates to their scouting department, per Stratton. Casey Filkins joins the staff as a new scouting assistant, making the short trek over from Stanford. As a running back for the Cardinal, Filkins struggled to stay on the field in his four years of play. Following the conclusion of his playing career, it appears Filkins will attempt to make the transition to scouting. In addition, San Francisco added Grant Bordelon as a new football systems personnel analyst. A former defensive lineman at MIT, Bordelon will look to continue utilizing his football IQ (and his regular IQ) on the gridiron.
  • Lastly, the Saints have promoted long-time staffer Ryan Powell, according to Stratton. Powell started in the NFL as a training camp assistant for the Seahawks in 1998. He’s now been with New Orleans for 19 years, spending 17 of those as a pro scout after two years as a combine scout. This newest promotion will make Powell a national scout.

49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk Did Not Anticipate Pay Cut

July 12th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Part of the 49ers’ offseason cap management included pay cut requests with players such as defensive tackle Arik Armstead and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The former ended up declining and signing with the Jaguars in free agency, while the latter agreed to a restructured deal.

When addressing this spring’s developments, Juszczyk made it clear he did not foresee the team asking him to reduce his 2024 pay. San Francisco has, of course, had a number of contract matters to deal with during the offseason, chief among them an extension agreement with wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Plenty of progress needs to be made on that front as the team aims to also keep fellow receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle (who also reworked his pact), recently-extended running back Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy in the fold for as long as possible.

“Honestly, it hurt when [general manager] John [Lynch] came to me and asked,” Juszczyk said about the pay cut request (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “I wasn’t necessarily expecting it. It kind of hurts your ego and hurts your heart a little bit. I understand that it’s a business, but I do feel like I’m as valuable as what I was expected to get paid.”

Juszczyk, 33, received $4MM in new guarantees as a result of the arrangement worked out with the 49ers. He is on the books for two more years, and his overall AAV sits at $4.55MM. That figure is the highest in the NFL amongst fullbacks, something which Juszczyk insisted remained the case during contract talks.

“Quite honestly, that was important to me,” the Harvard alum added. “That was something that went into negotiations: ‘All right, we can figure this out and take a cut, but I still need to be the highest paid.’ No knocks on other fullbacks in the league, but I’m the best fullback in the league.”

Juszczyk spent his first four seasons with the Ravens, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod in his final Baltimore campaign. That 2016 honor has been repeated for each of his seven San Francisco years, and in 2023 he added first-team All-Pro acclaim to his resume. The former fourth-rounder has not surpassed 354 scrimmage yards in a season, but his success as a blocker has helped lead to sustained recognition as the standard at his position around the NFL. That will be accompanied by a positive outlook heading into 2024

“I still love John and [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] – still have great relationships with them,” Juszczyk said. “I think this is the best team in the league, and I think we have the best chance to win a Super Bowl. So this is where I wanted to be… So we got it done, and I’m back with the Niners, and so I am happy.”

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 10th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s general manager ranks featured some key shakeups this offseason. One of the longest-tenured pure GMs in the game, Tom Telesco, lost his Chargers seat 11 years in. The Raiders, however, gave Telesco a second chance. He now controls the Las Vegas roster. Only Telesco and the Jaguars’ Trent Baalke reside as second-chance GMs currently.

Two long-serving personnel bosses also exited this offseason. The Patriots’ decision to move on from 24-year HC Bill Belichick gave Jerod Mayo a head coaching opportunity but also resulted in Eliot Wolf belatedly rising to the top of the team’s front office hierarchy. A former Packers and Browns exec, Wolf held decision-making power through the draft and kept it on an official basis soon after. While John Schneider arrived in Seattle with Pete Carroll in 2010, the latter held final say. Following Carroll’s ouster after 14 seasons, Schneider has full control.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

The Commanders changed GMs this offseason, hiring ex-San Francisco staffer Adam Peters, but Martin Mayhew received merely a demotion. The three-year Washington GM, who worked alongside Peters with the 49ers, is now in place as a senior personnel exec advising Peters. Rather than look outside the organization, Panthers owner David Tepper replaced Scott Fitterer with Dan Morgan, who had previously worked as the team’s assistant GM.

Going into his 23rd season running the Saints, Mickey Loomis remains the NFL’s longest-serving pure GM. This will mark the veteran exec’s third season without Sean Payton. An eight-year gap now exists between Loomis and the NFL’s second-longest-tenured pure GM.

As the offseason winds down, here is how the league’s 32 GM jobs look:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  16. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020: signed extension in 2024
  17. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  18. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  19. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021: agreed to extension in 2024
  20. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  21. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  22. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  23. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  24. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  25. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  26. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  27. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
  28. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  29. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  30. Tom Telesco (Las Vegas Raiders): January 23, 2024
  31. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  32. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
Load More Posts