The 49ers can’t be thrilled at Jalen Ramsey (again) setting the market at cornerback, which directly impacts two players the Niners would like to have back in 2025.
Plenty of top cornerbacks around the league are likely rejoicing at recent news from NFL insiders that broke Friday morning, centering around the Miami Dolphins coming to an agreement with All-Pro Jalen Ramsey for a lucrative contract extension.
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ramsey is agreeing to a three-year extension, one that’ll pay him an annual average of $24.1 million.
It resets the cornerback market, and he’s now (again) the highest-paid corner in league history:
While it’s great news for other high-profile cornerbacks, it’s not necessarily great news for the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners aren’t facing salary-cap hell right now, boasting $46.3 million in available space, per Over the Cap. But, in 2025, OTC projects San Francisco to be $24.75 million above the salary cap. And that doesn’t take into account what’ll be a massive contract extension dished out to quarterback Brock Purdy, who’ll be eligible for one this upcoming offseason.
The theme for much of the 2024 offseason has been a “final run” of Purdy’s notably cheap rookie contract, which has afforded the 49ers an ability to stockpile expensive talent elsewhere on the roster.
Once Purdy’s extension hits, that’ll be much more difficult. And the team will be forced to say goodbye to some notable players, who’ll simply price themselves out of the Niners’ comfort range.
In the wake of Ramsey’s new deal, that probably includes two top cornerbacks on San Francisco’s roster.
Jalen Ramsey’s extension likely makes Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir too expensive for 49ers to re-sign
The 49ers have two notable cornerbacks entering contract years: Deommodore Lenoir and second-team All-Pro Charvarius Ward.
Ward, who led the NFL with 23 pass breakups a season ago, has already hinted that he won’t take a discount to stay in the Bay Area in 2025, making the prospects for re-signing him slim at best. OTC valued his 2023 campaign at $13.33 million, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he ends up seeking a deal in the range of $15 million, annually.
Lenoir, coming off his own rookie contract, is in a slightly more reasonable situation for the Niners than Ward, given the former is primarily a nickel cornerback, and nickel backs tend to earn less on the open market than boundary corners.
That said, a new deal for Ramsey could prompt Lenoir to want the kind of money rewarded to upper-echelon defensive backs regardless of placement on the field, and San Francisco might be hard-pressed to find that kind of money.
Either way, and at best, the 49ers may be forced to decide between one of their two top cornerbacks next offseason, and it wouldn’t be shocking whatsoever if they ultimately have to let both walk in free agency because of financial limitations.
The Ramsey deal doesn’t help.
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