49ers free safety Jimmie Ward turned his one-year deal in 2019 into a long-term agreement with the team for the 2020 season. Ward on Monday agreed to a three-year, $28.5 million contract with $17 million guaranteed.
While the annual value of the deal is north of $9 million, he has a relatively cheap $4.5 cap hit for the 2020 season according to Over the Cap – a necessarily low dollar figure for the 49ers as they try and extend their limited cap space.
Next year that number jumps significantly to $11.6 million, then up to $12.6 million in the final year of the deal. That 2022 season is where the 49ers can part ways with Ward for cheap. He can be let go for just a $2.6 million dead cap hit and $9.5 million in savings.
Health is always the big question with Ward though, who despite playing nearly 100 percent of his snaps last year, he missed the first three games after breaking his collarbone in OTAs. Since being taken in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, Ward has played 16 games just once, and more than 11 games only twice.
The structure of the contract limits that injury risk to just the 2021 season. The low cap number in 2020 keeps him from handcuffing them, and they can escape the deal in 2022 if he’s still having difficulties staying on the field.
If Ward is healthy though, this is a great deal for the 49ers who retain a do-everything safety that roams the middle of the secondary for them. He’s a good tackler, great with angles that limit big plays, and he can cover multiple positions. His $9.5 million AAV is the 12th-highest in the league, and he’s better than the NFL’s 12th-best safety when he’s on the field.
Bringing Ward back comes with a small risk, but the reward of having a Pro Bowl caliber safety far outweighs it.
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