49ers Cash Spending Limit Must be a 2025 Exclusive

2025 better be the only year the 49ers limit their cash spending.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The 49ers are clutching their wallet tightly this offseason.

Cash spending has been minimal for them compared to recent years. Part of that has to do with whether and when they extend Brock Purdy.

"I'd say the cash spending is down but the year isn't over," said John Lynch at the owner's meeting. "We're trying to do our quarterback. When and if we get our quarterback done, we'll probably be a top two or three spending team in terms of cash. You have to account for those things. We're trying to make this thing sustainable for now into the future."

As pitiful as it looks for the 49ers, a multi-billion-dollar franchise, to be frugal, this is the offseason for them to do it. There were hardly any prominent free agents for them to target.

The few that there were got cashed out astronomically. I understand the 49ers keeping their trigger finger on the spending at ease.

However, their cash spending limit must be exclusive to 2025. This cannot be their new standard moving forward. They get a pass this offseason because they have been heavy spenders, and this offseason has insufficient talent.

The 49ers have identified the perfect season to reel in their cash spending. But again, it cannot be their new standard. They can't turn into the NFL's version of the "Sacramento" Athletics.

If it does leak into 2026, it will be clear that Paraag Marathe and his staff have a lot of power, if not most of it. That is the worst-case scenario for the 49ers.

It will indicate the 49ers could be headed for a new power struggle and end up returning to their 2015/2016 versions. That is the major concern with this off-season's financial limits.

The 49ers have to restrict it to this year and this year only. Lynch even tried to shine a light on the minimal cash spending by indicating it's temporary.

"The one thing I think people should know, since we've been here we've been a top-five spending team. Our ownership has been tremendous. They've given us every resource that we need. And that's not stopping. We're going to continue to be aggressive. At the end of this, I would surmise that we're going to be a top-five spending team again.

"I know it's hard to watch. Believe me, it was hard to execute. I like being aggressive. I would say that subtly we like the players we brought in. We think they'll add to our team. And we're ready to roll.