The 49ers and running back Christian McCaffrey agreed to a two-year contract extension that, while making the RB a touch more expensive, actually created cap space for the 2024 season.
According to Spotrac, the McCaffrey deal actually freed up $7.4 million in cap space for San Francisco and put them a touch more than $32 million under the cap this year.
There are a handful of ways the team can use some of that room this year with either signings or trades, but the more likely practical use comes in the rollover it provides next year since San Francisco will now be more than $41 million over the projected $260 million cap number on Over the Cap.
This type of cap gymnastics is why the club can actually generate more space when if they extend wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He’s rocking a $14.1 million cap hit this year. That can be decreased significantly by extending him the same way the 49ers chopped $7.4 million off of McCaffrey’s own $14.1 million cap hit this year.
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