The San Francisco 49ers head into free agency with roughly $38 million in salary-cap space — 11th most in the NFL — and holes all over their roster.
That doesn’t mean they’ll be reeling in big fish left and right. But they’ll likely be more aggressive with outside free agents than they were last season, especially along the defensive line and at wide receiver.
The following looks at what the 49ers currently have at each position and lists the free agents who make sense. That projection is based on reporting, the level of need and history with 49ers coaches. The team not only has a new defensive coordinator, ex-Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, but also agreed Thursday to make ex-Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus its new assistant head coach. Eberflus served as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator last season.
Quarterback
On the roster: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez, Kurtis Rourke
It’s possible, perhaps likely, that the 49ers already have their four passers for the offseason, with Martinez and Rourke competing to be the No. 3 quarterback.
The wild card is Jones. The 49ers have clearly stated they’d have to be blown away by a trade offer to move him, and so far, that offer has not come in. If that changes, they probably would sign a veteran passer.
Possibilities: Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Zach Wilson
Makes sense: Pickett. No, he didn’t dazzle at his first two NFL stops (or his third). But neither did Jones nor Sam Darnold. Pickett must regain his confidence, something Kyle Shanahan and his coaching staff have a track record of helping quarterbacks do.
Running back
On the roster: Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Kyle Juszczyk (fullback)
The 49ers are light at this spot, especially considering teams want six or more runners on their offseason rosters. Two other tailbacks, Brian Robinson Jr. and Patrick Taylor Jr., are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
Possibilities: Salvon Ahmed, Ameer Abdullah, Robinson, Taylor
Makes sense: Robinson. McCaffrey has surpassed 1,000 snaps three times in his career. Two of those were followed by injury-shortened seasons. The third was last season, when he logged 1,083 snaps (including playoffs). The 49ers like James, but they might want to have a proven veteran on hand anyway.
Wide receiver
On the roster: Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, Malik Turner, Junior Bergen
The team will likely bolster this position in both free agency and the draft. Pending free agents Jauan Jennings, Skyy Moore and Kendrick Bourne could be back. The 49ers are also monitoring outside free agents.
Possibilities: Romeo Doubs, Mike Evans, Alec Pierce, Jalen Nailor, Jennings, Moore, Bourne
Makes sense: Doubs. Evans would fill the need for a big-play X receiver. But he’ll be 33 before Week 1 and is coming off an injury-shortened season. Doubs is seven years younger, should be a little cheaper and is already well-versed in the Shanahan offense, especially catching passes over the crowded middle.
Tight end
On the roster: George Kittle, Luke Farrell, Brayden Willis, Hayden Rucci
Jake Tonges, who filled in well for Kittle last season, is a restricted free agent the 49ers have yet to tender. They could re-sign him and then stand pat in free agency. After all, the draft is deep at tight end. Or it’s possible the 49ers sign the type of pass-catching tight end Shanahan has used at the “F” or slot position in the past.
Possibilities: Isaiah Likely, Kyle Pitts (franchise-tagged, would require a trade), Darren Waller, Tonges
Makes sense: Likely. He’s just 24 and is the type of player who can line up in multiple spots, including the slot. The 49ers have used Jennings there to great effect in the past. Jennings might command a contract worth $15-$20 million per year. Likely’s deal could be around $10 million per year.
Offensive tackle
On the roster: Trent Williams, Colton McKivitz, Brandon Parker, Zachary Thomas, Isaac Alarcon
It’s hard to see the 49ers spending a lot of money here after extending McKivitz’s contract in 2025 and presumably doing so with Williams’ deal this offseason. The only way they get aggressive is if the team moves on from Williams. Otherwise, it might be another low-impact move.
Possibilities: Austen Pleasants. He’s an exclusive rights free agent whom the 49ers have tendered, which means he’ll be back on a one-year deal. Pleasants is best on the right side, leaving the 49ers to draft a left tackle next month.
Makes sense: Pleasants. They might sign him and perhaps another low-cost tackle in free agency and then use an early (ish) pick on the position in the draft.
Guard
On the roster: Dominick Puni, Connor Colby, Nick Zakelj
The 49ers are expecting left guard Spencer Burford to get away in free agency, but there’s mutual interest in bringing back the oft-injured Ben Bartch. The team traditionally doesn’t spend big money at guard, although it has drafted a couple — Aaron Banks and Puni — on Day 2.
Possibilities: Dylan Parham, Sean Rhyan, Cole Strange, Burford, Bartch
Makes sense: Strange. The 49ers showed interest in the first three names above before their respective drafts, and they brought in Parham and Rhyan for formal visits. Those two could be too expensive, but Strange, who started 14 games for the Miami Dolphins last season, might fit the budget.
Center
On the roster: Jake Brendel, Drake Nugent
Free agent Matt Hennessy played well in relief of Brendel for three games this past season and could be back on a modest deal. Though Brendel will turn 34 early in the season, Hennessy is 28.
Possibilities: Daniel Brunskill, Hennessy, Parham, Rhyan, Strange.
Makes sense: Hennessy. The 49ers have been eying him for a while, he knows their system and had some good outings in 2025. Another tactic: The 49ers pony up for a guard such as Rhyan or Parham and move him to center — where both have experience, including seven games in 2025 for Rhyan — in coming seasons.
Defensive end
On the roster: Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Bryce Huff, Keion White, William Bradley-King, Andrew Farmer
The 49ers have several free agents at this spot — Clelin Ferrell, Yetur Gross-Matos, Sam Okuayinonu and Robert Beal Jr. — and it’s also unclear if the team will move forward with Huff. Cutting him would save $5.3 million of salary-cap space.
Possibilities: Joey Bosa, Arnold Ebiketie, Trey Hendrickson, Arden Key, Jaelan Philips, Okuayinonu, Beal
Makes sense: Phillips. The 49ers showed interest in Phillips before the trade deadline and were probably kicking themselves after he posted 44 quarterback pressures in nine games after being traded to Philadelphia. (Huff had 46 in 17 games.) Phillips posted a pass-rush win rate of 24.8 percent on the season. To put that in perspective, Nick Bosa’s was 26.7. If the 49ers can’t land one of the big names along the edge, Ebiketie, who played for Morris in Atlanta, is a budget option who makes sense.
Defensive tackle
On the roster: Alfred Collins, CJ West, Sebastian Valdez, Evan Anderson
The 49ers have some promising youth at the position, given that all of the players above are 24 or younger. But their veterans — Jordan Elliott, Kalia Davis, Kevin Givens — are scheduled to be free agents. That makes landing a seasoned defensive tackle a near-must next week.
Possibilities: John Franklin-Myers, David Onyemata, Tim Settle, Sheldon Rankins, Elliott, Davis
Makes sense: Onyemata. The Broncos’ Franklin-Myers is the big free-agent fish, but there will be a lot of teams vying to land him. Onyemata is a cheaper alternative. He also spent the last two seasons under Morris in Atlanta and thus ought to be a valuable guide for the younglings at the position.
Linebacker
On the roster: Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Nick Martin, Jalen Graham, Tatum Bethune
This is another position that’s not very deep. It’s also a bit murky after the third-round rookie Martin struggled with a concussion over the last two months of the season. The team has several linebackers hitting free agency, including Eric Kendricks, Luke Gifford, Curtis Robinson and Garret Wallow.
Possibilities: Kaden Elliss, Leo Chenal, Jack Sanborn, Ronnie Harrison, Gifford, Wallow
Makes sense: Wallow. Elliss and Chenal might be too expensive. But both are multi-function linebackers who could be valuable in Morris’ defense. Elliss and Harrison played under Morris last year, while Sanborn followed Eberflus from Chicago to Dallas. Wallow and Gifford could be back due to their special teams prowess.
Cornerback
On the roster: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Darrell Luter Jr., Eli Apple, Jakob Robinson
The only free agent at this spot is Chase Lucas, a restricted free agent the 49ers are unlikely to tender. He could be back if he doesn’t get any tempting offers on the open market.
Possibilities: Dee Alford, Corey Ballentine
Makes sense: Ballentine. He played under Eberflus last year in Dallas and has been a solid special teamer over his career, including under then-Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer in 2020.
Safety
On the roster: Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, Marques Sigle, Siran Neal, Darrick Forrest, Derrick Canteen
The 49ers have a lot of safeties under contract, though none stood out in a season in which the defensive line struggled and the safeties were forced to make — or at least try to make — a lot of tackles. The only free agent is Jason Pinnock.
Possibilities: Jaquan Brisker. The 49ers showed interest in Brisker before the 2022 draft, before Eberflus’ Bears ended up taking him in the second round. He was also Brown’s teammate at Penn State. If the 49ers want to spend money to shore up the position, Brisker would be a good addition.
Makes sense: Stand pat. The current regime has never spent big bucks on a safety, which is odd considering general manager John Lynch is a former safety. They’ll likely hope two of their recent draft picks — Brown, Mustapha and Sigle — make leaps in 2026.
Special teams
On the roster: Jon Weeks (long snapper)
The team is pursuing deals with kicker Eddy Piñeiro and punter Thomas Morstead, who represents himself on contract matters. An educated guess: Piñeiro is looking for $6 million per year, which is close to the franchise-tag figure for his position. The 49ers would rather pay $4 million. Perhaps the number they can agree on … let’s crunch some numbers here and move around the ol’ abacus … is $5 million.
Possibilities: Joey Slye, Matt Gay, Zane Gonzalez, Piñeiro. All of these kickers have spent time in San Francisco in recent years.
Makes sense: Piñeiro. Lynch seemed optimistic at last month’s scouting combine about re-signing “Eddy Dinero.” “He was fantastic for us — picked our team up in a big way,” he said. “So obviously, there’s great interest in trying to figure that out.”
