When you attempt to simplify the trades the San Francisco 49ers have made in 2025, they sent Deebo Samuel and a sixth-round pick to Washington in exchange for Brian Robinson and a fifth-round pick.
The Niners also sent running back Jordan Mason and a late-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-rounder, which turned out to be Marques Sigle — a potential starter for San Francisco this season. By shedding Deebo and Mason’s salary, the Niners saved roughly $20 million in cap space.
Per Spotrac,
the Commanders will retain $1.25 million of Robinson’s $3.406 million salary in 2025. Washington incurs a dead cap of $1.53 million in 2025, while the 49ers will pay Robinson $2.156 million this season. It’s essentially a one-year deal for Robinson, who is an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Shedding as much salary as possible, especially Deebo’s at his age with his injury history and production falling off, was imperative for the 49ers. Heading into the regular season, San Francisco sits third in effective cap space at $46.8 million. The fun is over after this season, as that number plummets to $8.64 million next season, and a league low $737,151 in 2027.
Dead money cap hits to Javon Hargrave ($16.1 million) next year don’t help. Of course, as they typically do, the front office will move money around, work out extensions, and cut any dead weight.
For example, the 49ers can save $17.1 million in cap space in 2026 and $11.7 million in 2027 by releasing Bryce Huff after this year. Huff’s $7.9 million in guaranteed salary is all due in 2025. If Huff plays at a level where the team has no choice but to extend him, a new deal would help save north of $12.7 million in 2026.
Looking ahead to 2027, Deommodore Lenoir’s contract is the only one that is feasible when it comes to saving the team money. The majority of funds are tied to Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy, and Christian McCaffrey’s deals. And they’re all structured in a way that they’ll each be around for a few seasons — which is understandable, given they’re the team’s best players.
It’ll be fascinating to see how the Niners maneuver around the salary cap these next few seasons. They’ll need to continue to draft well and develop those players on rookie contracts. But as long as the core stays healthy, this team will remain competitive.
