Where the 49ers Currently Rank in Salary Cap Dead Money

The 49ers literally set money on fire.

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York during the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

If a team is not around the top in the NFL, then their franchise is on the outside looking in.

However, that isn't always the case. There are some aspects where being ranked high is unappealing. For the San Francisco 49ers they are ranked high in a dismal category.

Being last would've been the perfect scenario for them. The category aforementioned is the salary cap dead money. It is money that has been paid out to players who are no longer on the roster.

That includes players like Deebo Samuel, Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Leonard Floyd, and more. Cutting ties with so many players was always going to place the 49ers high.

But now that the post-June 1 transactions are official, here is where the 49ers currently rank in salary cap dead money.

NFL Dead Money Leaders following post June 1 transactions. Retirements are not yet official and not included yet. pic.twitter.com/2mnMbI7T5K

— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) June 2, 2025

They are at the top of the rankings and by a wide margin. Seeing that number and the disparity of the second-most dead money team adds context for why the 49ers limited cash spending this offseason.

They have acted like a kid who is reckless with their allowance money. The 49ers have made a lot of poor decisions with contracts and restructures.

2025 is the year for them to suffer those consequences to absorb the dead money once and for all. Unfortunately, they are still one of the highest in 2026 as well.

The 49ers have the third-most dead cap money in 2026 with over $20 million. That money can increase if any other moves occur, and so could their ranking.

Again, this just goes to show how many poor contracts they have handed out and why they need to relax on the spending this year.

Despite all that, there is still a solid team that can make a run at the playoffs in 2025. Usually, a team with so much dead money is paying for it.

But the 49ers are still in a prime position for a playoff run this upcoming season. So, while plenty of contracts were horrendous, it hasn't placed them in purgatory.