The San Francisco 49ers struggled to deal with injuries last season. Many of their best players got injured, and it led to a subpar season. This team has spent a lot of money the past few offseasons to try and build a Super Bowl roster. Now, they have a big decision to make on quarterback Brock Purdy. He is in line for an extension, and the team has already handed out huge contracts to Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk. The team traded away Deebo Samuel and has made another move to create cap space. The team informed veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins that they will release him.
San Francisco 49ers Release DT Maliek Collins
The San Francisco 49ers acquired Maliek Collins last season from the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the team will release him, making him a free agent when the league year begins on March 12. Overall, he was a solid defensive tackle, racking up 5.0 sacks, 33 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, and two fumble recoveries last year.
The advanced stats were less impressive. He was notoriously bad against the run, with PFF ranking him 168th in the league defending opposing running backs. More than likely, this move is about money. He was in the last year of a two-year, $23 million extension. Cutting him with a post-June 1 designation saves the San Francisco 49ers $3.1 million in cap space. This may not seem like a lot but every dollar counts in the NFL.
2025 Outlook
The San Francisco 49ers are in an interesting spot. Aiyuk is coming off an ACL injury, and we have no idea how much time he will miss next season. Christian McCaffrey was injured for most of last year, and it is unclear whether he is healthy or not. Trent Williams is getting up there in age, and there are other questions on the offensive line. Purdy looked less impressive without all the weapons around him.
All of the injury news makes it difficult to know what to expect with this team. Kyle Shanahan is still one of the best offensive minds in the game, and Robert Saleh is back running the defense. If the team is healthier this year, they should have more success, but there are so many big question marks; the future is less certain.
Final Thoughts
The San Francisco 49ers have their hands full this offseason. All eyes will be on the Purdy extension and on the injury updates from their star players. Can the 49ers continue to compete in the NFC, or has their window closed?
