Per Spotrac, the San Francisco 49ers converted $14.5 million of Osa Odighizuwa’s salary into a signing bonus. This move helps create $11.6 million in cap space.
Per Over the Cap, the number is $2.9 million annually stretched out through 2030, with the final two years being void years.
Over the Cap now has the 49ers with $42.3 million in cap space. Only three teams have more cap space than the Niners this season. The initial thought by many fans, especially doing this on the first day of the NFL Draft,
would be that the team is looking to trade for a player. Coincidentally, Steelers pass rusher Alex Highsmith’s cap number in 2026 is $14.5 million on the dot.
This move is likely the 49ers being proactive for next year, when they’ll be -$14 million in cap space. Having the cap roll over will put them back in the black and in good standing.
Every little bit counts, and the team will likely end up eating around $8 million in dead money over the next three seasons if they wind up releasing Brandon Aiyuk post-June 1.
The 49ers might need to spend next offseason in free agency as well. Kyle Juszczyk, Mac Jones, Christian Kirk, Jake Brendel, and Dre Greenlaw’s contracts are all void.
So this could be a move to add a player this weekend, but it sets the 49ers up for the future if they need to dig deep to spend.
