NFL Free Agency 2025: San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart + Offseason Moves

NFL free agency hasn’t even begun yet. Yet, the San Francisco 49ers are already making waves. 

Even though they technically cannot execute the deal until the league year opens on March 12th, the 49ers have announced that they are trading star wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a 5th round pick. Assuming his physical goes well, it’s as done of a deal as it can be this time of year. 

That certainly shakes things up and changes the offseason plans for both teams. Let’s take a moment here to look at the 49ers depth chart, contracts, cap space, and free agents to figure out what they might do in terms of weapons in NFL free agency.

Maybe these predictions can help with your dynasty fantasy football leagues and 2025 NFL Mock Drafts!

*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart 2025 (Fantasy Football Relevant)

• White = unrestricted free agent
• Green = role is safe
• Yellow = role in flux
• Orange = likely a depth piece
• Red = roster spot not guaranteed

*Deebo Samuel has been traded to the Washington Commanders

San Francisco 49ers Free Agency 2025

• CURRENT PROJECTED TOP 51 2025 SALARIES: ~$229M
• CURRENT ESTIMATED 2025 TEAM CAP SPACE: ~$34M

49ers Quarterback Depth Chart

Brock Purdy: Hitting on late round players in the draft has more benefit than unexpected upside. Especially when that player is a quarterback where the cap hits can be north of $50 million. Purdy’s cap hit in each of the first three years was roughly only $1M while this year it will still be an incredibly reasonable $5M. This is the final year of his deal so it’s time to think about an extension.

There’s no doubt that Purdy has benefited from his team having a ton of cash to build around him. Guys like Tom Brady and Russell Wilson enjoyed the same benefit. The next few years will be crucial for Purdy as he potentially adjusts to not having as many luxuries. Deebo Samuel is already out the door, as we know.

My dynasty league philosophy on a guy like this is simple. In two QB or superflex leagues, I’m happy to have him. In single QB leagues, I am going out of my way to invest in a little more upside - or at least having some upside options on my bench if Purdy is my starter. Dynasty is a top heavy game and mobility is king in the modern NFL.

Joshua Dobbs: Dobbs has proven that he’s capable of playing in a pinch though his record as a starter now is 3-12. He was chosen to start over Brandon Allen for the season finale. 

The question isn’t likely whether they want Dobbs back or not, the question is whether it’s affordable to spend up on backup QBs with Purdy’s new contract looming. Dobbs is an unrestricted free agent and they may have to go cheaper. 

Brandon Allen: Early in the year Brandon Allen was chosen to start when Brock Purdy was out on short notice, largely because he’s been there longer than Dobbs and the offense doesn’t change much with him in there. Later on however, they opted to go with Dobbs. The battle here (and between anyone else) could boil down to who is willing to take the least money. 

• Reserves/Futures: Tanner Mordecai

49ERS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: Purdy is your long-term starter though he needs to get paid. For a backup you want someone that is affordable but can also actually play if you need him. Bonus points if he brings some wisdom and smarts to the table. 

A guy like Jarrett Stidham is a good example of someone with the bonus points though he would need to sign for a cheaper deal than what he was playing on in Denver. There are some other faces familiar to San Francisco floating around out there as well.

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Joshua Dobbs, Brandon Allen, Jarrett Stidham, Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard

49ers Running Back Depth Chart

Christian McCaffrey: We received a positive update from Kyle Shanahan on 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. He said that CMC should be ready to participate in a least some of the offseason workouts. That’s great news after he missed all but four games of the 2024 season.

Contract-wise, McCaffrey is signed through 2027 with void years at the end of his deal after that for cap purposes. When healthy, he’s one of the best backs in the league. Unfortunately that’s going to be a concern here as he missed the start of last year with Achilles tendinitis then suffered a PCL injury after he did come back. He turns 29 this summer which makes him a bit of a high risk, high reward asset. 

Elijah Mitchell: Mitchell was set to be the backup but was ruled out for the season before it even started. Now he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. Much like the backup QB decision, the 49ers have multiple options here and it could boil down to who is willing to take a team friendly deal. With Mitchell’s injury history, his price might not be that high.

Jordan Mason: Mason is a restricted free agent this offseason. They could give him an “original round” tender of $3M but he was undrafted so, if someone else makes him an offer that SF can’t match, they could lose him with no compensation. If they do the second round tender it makes it unlikely that another team would make him an offer but that would cost $5.1M.

The other options are to work out some sort of other deal or let him walk. I think that, if they wanted him to stay, working out a multi-year deal with more than $3M guaranteed could make both camps happy. He ran the ball well this year when given the chance. Mason did end up on season ending IR with a high ankle sprain so his health could factor in there.

Isaac Guerendo:  Isaac Guerendo got the rare chance to start as a rookie and even scored 2 TDs against the Bears. He was carted off with a knee issue and missed a game against the Dolphins in a scary incident but it turned out there wasn’t serious damage.

Guerendo is on a rookie deal through 2027 so he should factor into the equation here. They won’t just go into the season with CMC and him so the question is whether the other players in the room fall ahead of or behind Guerendo on the depth chart.

Israel Abanikanda: The 49ers claimed Abanikanda amidst the injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason. He did not end up making an impact. He can be released with a little over $1M in savings and zero dead cap so he’ll need to make this team from scratch in camp.

Patrick Taylor: Taylor has floated around a couple of different practice squads while getting a few call-ups, most notably with Green Bay. He was added and activated for depth but I don’t expect him to be a priority for SF to bring back as a free agent.

Kyle Juszczyk: The 49ers love their fullback. So much so that Juszczyk actually lead all 49ers backs in backfield snaps. He turns 34 this year and is in the last year of his deal so, at some point, they will need to think about the future of the position. 

• Reserves/Futures: N/A

49ERS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: They’ll have Christian McCaffrey and Issac Guerendo but they’re going to need more depth than that. And with the Purdy contract situation, money is going to be a factor here.

They met with some backs at the NFL combine so that is always on the table for cheap production. Obviously Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell are on the table. Here are some other affordable options that could fit what they like to do. There are some familiar names available as well, like Raheem Mostert who was released by Miami last month.

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Jordan Mason, Elijah Mitchell, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon, Cam Akers, Khalil Herbert

49ers Wide Receiver Depth Chart

Deebo Samuel: We’ll start here because of the big news that Deebo will reportedly be traded to the Washington Commanders for a 5th round pick when the league year starts on March 12th. That will free up cap space in the long term though it actually hurts them cap-wise for this year. 

Deebo has dealt with injuries and conditioning concerns lately so a fresh start with a new team is probably best for everyone. He’ll likely start opposite Terry McLaurin. Because of the fullback usage and the number of two WR sets that results in, the spot Deebo vacates in the 49ers offense is a coveted one. 

Brandon Aiyuk: Brandon Aiyuk suffered a serious knee injury that included a torn MCL and ACL. Because of the multiple surgeries, the average recovery time for that is 11 months which would put him into a return in September/October. And he might not be ready to go full steam ahead even then.

Despite signing a monster contract extension, there have been some trade rumors surrounding the Aiyuk. And, much like Deebo Samuel, a trade would lower their future cap obligations but would also raise their short term cap hit by ~$7M as the 49ers would be responsible for a pro-rated signing bonus all at once.

Aiyuk is a player I’m actually interested in buying in dynasty while there is a discount. He’s been tremendous when healthy and he’s still 26 so he should be able to recover. I think the injury prevents a trade from happening and Aiyuk remains a top target for Brock Purdy in a fairly lethal offense. 

Jauan Jennings: Jennings has been the WR3 in this offense which, as we mentioned about, is essentially a part-time role because of the heavy fullback and tight end usage. When given the opportunity to play via injuries to his teammates, he’s certainly shown that he’s capable. That included a game this year that Deebo Samuel missed where he scored three touchdowns.

With Deebo gone and Aiyuk set to miss the beginning of the season at least, this is a big opportunity for him. Both he and Ricky Pearsall should get a chance to win early on and we don’t know for sure if the veteran will get the nod when Aiyuk gets back or Pearsall will fit better in that other role. 

If you check dynasty trade chart’s like Alex Korff’s, the perceived value for Jennings doesn’t reflect this upside possibility as he can be had for a second round pick. I’d gladly take that shot to have an every-down player in a highly consolidated scheme.

Ricky Pearsall: Naturally, given that he’s a recent first round pick that folks are heavily invested in, there is a large contingency rooting for Pearsall to take a step forward here. That’s not what happened last year when Brandon Aiyuk got hurt but we don’t know for sure in 2025. 

We’ve seen Jennings perform but the coaches might think that Pearsall is the better scheme fit opposite Aiyuk with Jennings remaining in his current role. Either way, Pearsall is squarely a hold for me in dynasty.

 I’m not necessarily looking to go all in buying at his price but you should probably hold onto him if you have him as, if his time isn’t now, I do believe that it will come eventually. Losing out to a guy like Jennings who has been with the team for four years waiting for his own turn isn’t an indictment, that’s just how the league works. 

Jacob Cowing: Despite the injuries, Cowing didn’t play much on offense. He did return virtually every punt for this team though which should secure his roster spot moving forward. The Deebo trade at least moves him one spot up in the pecking order now.

Chris Conley: Conley is a professional, no doubt about that. For five different teams now over the course of ten years, he has shown up and provided wide receiver depth and special teams work. If he’s willing to play for the veteran minimum again, teams might be interested in his depth services - including the 49ers again. 

• Reserves/Futures: Russell Gage, Isaiah Hodgins, Trent Taylor, Terique Owens

49ERS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: The 49ers really don’t need to make moves at the top. They really only feature two wide receivers with the WR3 maxing out around 50-60% of the snaps most games. They traded Deebo Samuel because they needed help with cap space and they like the guys they have. 

Maybe they do add someone via free agency or the draft for depth. But they really are not in a position to make a big monetary splash for a difference-making receiver. Unless an older player like a Keenan Allen or DeAndre Hopkins wants to take a severe discount to chase a ring, I don’t see them adding anyone. 

I think they like what they have in Aiyuk, Jennings, and Pearsall. But, for the sake of discussion, here is the short list of older players who might consider taking a deep discount to chase a ring that would also be legitimate competition to the guys they have already. 

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Brandin Cooks

49ers Tight End Depth Chart

George Kittle: George Kittle is a true unicorn. Not only can he both block at an extremely high level and run routes but he’s also one of the fastest tight ends in the league. George Kittle’s 18 career plays of 40+ yards is more than any other active tight end and he’s the only tight end with multiple plays of 70+ yards.

This is the last year of his deal, but you have to imagine that, if he’s interested in playing, they will be interested in bringing him back. For fantasy football, the only frustrating thing for George Kittle has been the target competition. Competing with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Christian McCaffrey has led to some boom/bust games when everyone is healthy.

With Samuel gone now and Aiyuk likely banged up to start the season, Kittle should be in a fairly safe spot. Eventually Aiyuk will be back, and we do like Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, but Kittle should still be able to provide some monster games. 

Eric Saubert: In the games where George Kittle missed in Weeks 3 and 11, Eric Saubert played 86% and 97% of the snaps. He didn’t quite get the targets but he’s a reliable blocker if they want to bring him back. He’s an unrestricted free agent but he just played on a ~$1.26M dollar deal so maybe they can figure out something affordable again.

Jake Tonges: Tonges was an exclusive rights free agent and they decided to tender his deal meaning that they are bringing him back at league minimum without him being able to negotiate with other teams. Pretty good deal for San Francisco. Tonges pretty exclusively plays special teams. 

Brayden Willis: It’s the same story here as with Tonges above. Willis was a ERFA making it a cheap decision to bring him back. Like Tonges, he also primarily contributes on special teams. In the last game of the season when they pulled the starters early, Willis did play a little more than Tonges. But I imagine they make other plans at backup tight end. 

• Reserves/Futures: Mason Pline

49ERS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: With Eric Saubert an unrestricted free agent, there is room for them to do something at backup tight end. And, with Deebo Samuel gone and Brandon Aiyuk possibly starting on IR, this might be a more important position than ever.

Obviously the draft is where you are going to find the most upside. And the free agent tight end class is thin. But here are the best “two way” tight ends that can both block and catch passes at a decent level. As we already saw with Mike Gesicki in a very similar scheme under Mike McDaniel, they really can’t use you if you don’t block. He utilized Durham Smythe in that role, who knows the scheme and now also happens to be a free agent.

Given the thin free agent class, some of these guys are going to go for more than the 49ers can afford. You might be surprised to see what a Tyler Conklin can fetch in this market. But we’ll list the candidates anyway. 

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT OPTIONS: Tyler Conklin, Austin Hooper, Hayden Hurst, Harrison Bryant, Durham Smythe, Tommy Tremble, Irv Smith Jr, Jordan Akins