SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers cut defensive linemen Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins at the start of the new league year on Wednesday in the latest moves to overhaul their roster.
The 49ers have cut four key contributors, traded star receiver Deebo Samuel to Washington and saw seven other free agents leave for other teams this week as the team resets its roster following a disappointing 6-11 season in 2024.
The Niners made a big push last season after losing the Super Bowl in overtime to Kansas City the previous year but fell far short because of a slew of injuries and players underperforming.
General manager John Lynch said last month that the Niners would look to become younger and cheaper in 2025 and the moves made already this month are a major part of that.
San Francisco made one notable addition on Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $7 million, including $5 million guaranteed, with backup quarterback Mac Jones, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.
Jones and San Francisco were closely linked leading up to the 2021 draft after the Niners traded three first-round picks to get the No. 3 overall selection. Coach Kyle Shanahan was looking to draft a franchise quarterback and was debating between Jones and Trey Lance before San Francisco finally opted for Lance.
The move backfired as Lance struggled to stay healthy and adjust to Shanahan’s system. He made only four starts in two seasons before being traded to Dallas for a fourth-round pick in August 2023, having lost the starting job to 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy.
Purdy has firmly established himself as the full-time starter in San Francisco and now Jones gets the chance to come in as a backup.
The cuts made by the Niners come with a cost as the team is currently projected to have more than $86 million — more than one-quarter of its adjusted salary cap — allotted to players no longer on the team through dead money charges. That money is based on bonuses already paid to players that haven't hit the cap.
San Francisco delayed some of the pain from the moves with Hargrave and Collins by designating them as post-June 1 cuts, which will push $21.5 million of additional dead money to the 2026 cap.
Hargrave was cut two years after signing a four-year, $81 million deal with San Francisco. Hargrave played in only three games in 2024 before suffering a torn triceps that required surgery. He immediately agreed with Minnesota on a two-year, $30 million contract with $19 million guaranteed, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Collins was acquired in a trade from Houston last offseason and had five sacks but struggled in run defense in his only season with the Niners. He immediately agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract with Cleveland that includes $13 million guaranteed, Rosenhaus said.
San Francisco also cut defensive end Leonard Floyd and fullback Kyle Juszczyk this week.
Several other key players agreed to deals in free agency Monday. Standout defenders Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga reached deals with Denver; star cornerback Charvarius Ward agreed to a deal with Indianapolis; backup tackle Jaylon Moore and running back Elijah Mitchell agreed to deals with Kansas City; and backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs left for New England.
Those deals were all confirmed by people familiar with the agreements who spoke on condition of anonymity because they couldn't be signed until Wednesday.
Starting left guard Aaron Banks also reportedly has agreed to a deal with Green Bay.
The Niners did make a few small moves, agreeing to a contract with former Seattle cornerback Tre Brown and re-signing linebacker Curtis Robinson to a one-year deal.
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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
