Report: 49ers clear nearly $10 million in cap space with Ford restructure

With salary cap restrictions tightening, the 49ers made a move Saturday that could allow them to retain some of their notable free agents in 2021 and beyond.

San Francisco on Saturday, hours before trimming the offseason roster to 53 players, restructured the contract of pass rusher Dee Ford to clear roughly $9.5 million in salary space, according to a report from ESPN.

The move likely converted base salary into a guaranteed signing bonus that could be spread over the remaining three years of Ford’s contract. That makes it probable he sticks with the team beyond 2020. He was considered a possible salary cap casualty following the season given he had no guaranteed salary for 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, could cause the 2021 salary cap to shrink to a floor of $175 million, roughly $40 million lower than initial projections. The newly-created cap space could allow the team to spend on looming free agents including left tackle Trent Williams, cornerback Richard Sherman, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, safety Jaquiski Tartt or defensive tackle D.J. Jones.

Ford joined the 49ers on a five-year, $85 million pact when he was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick before last season. He had 6.5 sacks in 11 games while playing just 22 percent of the defensive snaps due to knee tendinitis and a late-season hamstring strain. San Francisco’s imposing pass rush averaged less than two sacks per game with Ford out of the lineup and nearly four sacks with him available.

“Dee Ford is a big piece of the puzzle,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said this week. “His speed has got to be accounted for when he’s out there. It just kind of opens it up for everybody else on that front and by opening it up, it just stretches the offensive line and the way they’ve got to protect.”

Ford is coming into the new season hoping to play more after having surgery to repair his knee from noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Though he missed practice time recently with calf irritation, the 49ers are expecting him to be available for the Sept. 13 opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

Ford was asked last month if the 49ers ever got to see him at 100 percent healthy during the Super Bowl run in 2019.

“At moments, but not consistently,” Ford said. “Not to my expectations, no. At times. I did what I could while I could. I did not want to miss that season and leave my team hanging so I just did what I had to do. That’s part of football.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2020 at 11:13 AM.