Budgeting for quarterback Brock Purdy’s hefty new contract might have gotten a little bit easier for the San Francisco 49ers.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Wednesday reported the NFL told teams the 2025 salary cap will land somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5 million – a more than $20 million increase over last year’s $255 million cap. It’s also an uptick over the reported $265-$275 million NFL media reported in December teams were gearing up for.
Over the Cap released new cap space projections based on a $279 million cap. That number would put the 49ers at $45,661,761 in effective cap space for 2025.
While that’s helpful for the upcoming season, San Francisco may be more excited about what that means long-term. They have Purdy’s deal coming up this offseason, but his big-money cap hits aren’t likely to start until sometime after the 2025 season.
A larger jump this year means we could see other significant increases over the coming seasons, making whatever Purdy’s deal lands at less burdensome once the big numbers kick in. OTC projects a $295.5 million cap in 2026, and a $311 million cap in 2027.
The uptick in the cap number may also impact this offseason with how the 49ers dole out contracts and how they structure some of their new deals. More cap space to work with is always better than less.
This may change how they operate in negotiations with Purdy as well knowing the cap could balloon even more over the next couple years. While more cap space is always good, it’ll be better to hammer out a deal with Purdy and ensure he’s locked into a long-term contract before the offseason program begins in April.