Niners Nation
Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Friday, February 21st, 2025
Barrows: 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan ‘likely’ to attend NFL Scouting Combine
“So, they’re ahead of the game compared to previous seasons, as far as him and his coaching staff, kind of researching some of these guys,” Barrows continued. “And they have the No. 11 pick. They haven’t had a first-round pick in a while. Or they had one last year, but it was so late.”
Kawakami: Deebo Samuel’s exit is a sign of the 49ers’ new hard-line attitude
“Also, I know that there’s still frustration about the way Brandon Aiyuk handled his bitter negotiations last summer and that members of the front office were never thrilled about giving him a $30-million-a-year deal on the eve of the regular season. And a team that absolutely hates setting contract precedents probably doesn’t feel great in retrospect for buckling and giving Nick Bosa $34 million a year (and $120 million guaranteed) — which still stands as the highest salary and most guaranteed money in the league among defensive players — two Septembers ago after his long holdout.
The 49ers made those deals because they were in a sprint to win a Super Bowl with this core group and while Brock Purdy was on an immensely cheap rookie deal. But the 49ers have not won a Super Bowl in this era and Purdy is due a huge new contract. The 49ers will have to do some retooling on the fly. There are bills due.
To that point, moving off of Deebo and eliminating that $15.4 million option bonus gives Jed York more cash to offer Purdy. It also solidifies the transition Shanahan started in the middle of last season, when he asked Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir, two of the team’s younger leaders, to speak to the team the night before the Bears game. Though Fred Warner and George Kittle still have the voices that mean the most, the locker-room leadership shift is happening.”
Will 49ers’ George Kittle contract talks be drama-free this time? There’s a chance (paywall)
“However, it could behoove the 49ers to move quickly when it comes to Kittle’s deal. In fact, it’s possible that will be among their orders of business, along with finding a trade partner for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, starting Monday when the NFL combine begins in Indianapolis.
The 49ers have restructured Kittle’s contract since he signed a five-year, $75 million extension in 2020, which has resulted in a large salary cap charge this season. Kittle is scheduled to count $22.02 million against the cap, the second-highest figure on the team behind Warner ($29.17 million), and the 49ers could lower that figure significantly with an extension.
That money could come in handy with free agency starting March 12, and with the 49ers also speaking with quarterback Brock Purdy’s agent about an extension that could average at least $50 million annually.
Kittle smiled during an interview with the Chronicle this past season when he...
