So, finally, this week, we’re going to take a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ pending free agents. All estimates for contracts come from Spotrac, although I’ll disagree with them where I feel it’s warranted. Let’s start breaking them down, because there’s enough of them…

My Hottest Take: Headline offensive free agent can’t return at this price

The offensive free agents are headlined by erstwhile wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Let’s get this one out of the way–assuming Spotrac’s projection is correct (an average per year contract value of $22.6 million), there is absolutely no way that Jennings returns to the 49ers. I love Jauan Jennings. He’s set the tone, along with the likes of Deebo Samuel, for this football team over the last five years. He’s a great blocker, a tough receiver, and has an attitude that everyone loves being on their side.

Unfortunately, he’s an unremarkable player. While he has had purple patches, particularly being the only bright spot in a difficult 2024, he just isn’t a playmaker, Super Bowl performance in 2023 notwithstanding. He’s never topped 1000 yards, and his best season catching touchdowns came this year, with nine. Moreover, he’s not a separator, and doesn’t have game-changing speed, which is something the 49ers sorely lack. Sadly, in a salary-capped sport, he just simply isn’t worth it at the predicted price. If for some reason his market’s soft, sure, he might be back. But the biggest thing you can say about Jennings is that with or without him, the 49ers have a need at wide receiver this offseason ... and that’s not the recipe for yet another big wide receiver contract in the Bay.

Elsewhere:

• WR Kendrick Bourne – I could actually see a deal getting done here. Spotrac tabs him at an AAV of $3.3 million, and this seems like a pretty sensible veteran buttress to a skill position that needs a lot of work, to backfill positional depth if nothing else. I really, really hope he learns the offense better though, as his consistent lining up in the wrong spot drove me up a tree and cost the team a few times in key moments.

• WR Skyy Moore – If the price isn’t insane (and $1.7 million AAV isn’t), I’d love to see Skyy back – he’s been a quality returner and showed some potential as someone who could be used on occasional trick plays.

• OL Spencer Burford – It’s no secret that I’d like to see some infusions of young talent on the offensive line, but I’ll break with tradition here and say keeping Burford, particularly at the predicted $3.3 million AAV, would make a great deal of sense. He’s got positional flexibility and experience, and he’s at least a replacement-level player. We do need to improve along the OL, but you don’t build decent depth by casting away a player like Burford at a modest price. The one concern is the 49ers lost Jaylon Moore last year to an absolutely insane contract for a backup OL, and while I don’t think Burford will draw similar, such is the dearth of capable linemen across the league, his price might escalate beyond a sensible value for the 49ers.

• OL Ben Bartch – Largely, see above. Bartch’s value is even lower than Burford’s, and if there’s a soft market, I’ve no issue with him coming back – although I do think his injury history means he should be considered a depth piece with upside at best.

• TE Jake Tonges – As an RFA, I fully expect he’ll be back. With George Kittle’s injury and our constant search for a #2 tight end, casting away one who produced solid work in his limited playing time would be asinine.

• RB Brian Robinson – I can’t see a deal getting done here. I really enjoy Robinson’s straight-ahead, no-BS running style, but the fact is, he’s likely to get a better contract elsewhere than from San Francisco, especially with Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo, plus our customary mid-round draft pick, waiting in the wings.

• The rest (C Matt Hennessy, RT Austen Pleasants, RB Patrick Taylor, WR Trent Taylor) – The only one I see coming back here is Patrick Taylor, with Trent Taylor a possibility if he’s healthy and Skyy Moore signs elsewhere. Pleasants and Hennessy are OK linemen, but I really hope they’re replaced with better players this offseason. The fact they’re on the roster at all is evidence of a team that doesn’t take offensive line particularly seriously.

What You Should Know: The team's defensive free agents are unremarkable

The defensive free agents are largely role players, and the vast majority have been superseded over the season, or should be improved upon in this offseason. Let’s take a look.

• DL Yetur Gross-Matos – No, simply. It looked like a quietly effective free-agency deal when Matos arrived in 2024 on a modest two-year deal, but it hasn’t worked out. Injury issues have limited him to nineteen games in two years, and he’s rarely set the world alight, although he has been somewhat solid. Hard to see how he returns, unless it’s on a one-year prove it deal.

• DL Jordan Elliott – In many ways, I think he’s the Spencer Burford of the defense. Should he be paid like a starter? No. Would him coming back on a cheap deal for depth help the 49ers backfill what’s rapidly looking like one of the key needs of the offseason? Yes. If he’s as cheap as Spotrac suggests ($1.8m AAV), I expect he’ll be back, even if it’s just as a player on run downs.

• S Jason Pinnock – Let’s not. The 49ers have a genuine issue at safety – none of their safeties are good ballplayers, none have shown any consistency, and there’s barely a starting quality player amongst them. Malik Mustapha likely has one spot, and I still like the potential of Marques Sigle, but the rest, no, including Pinnock. Pinnock was a veteran flyer, and it hasn’t worked. A poor tackler and poor in coverage, I doubt he’ll even be considered to return.

• DL Kevin Givens – See Jordan Elliott. Givens is somehow older (he’s been with the 49ers for seven years, which feels insane to type), but has rarely let the team down. His reduced role over the last two years (13 games in two years, with one start) would suggest to me he’s not a priority re-sign, but he’s the kind of player teams keep around for continuity if nothing else. A camp body, maybe?

• DL/EDGE Cle Ferrell – See … Jordan Elliott, but on the edge. Ferrell is never going to be a superstar, but he’s a solid player and the 49ers have no depth on the edge. He played hard and consistently since joining the team in midseason, and even produced more sacks than usual. The 49ers ought to bring him back unless he somehow gets a ridiculous offer from elsewhere.

• DL/EDGE Robert Beal – He’s a poor player, but given he’s an RFA, perhaps he comes back at the lowest possible tender, but either way, I doubt he’s on the roster in September. A former fifth-rounder, he’s got one sack in three years and has never developed into a contributor. Time for both sides to move on.

• DL/EDGE Sam Okuayinonu – As much as, as a writer, I hate spelling his name, the 49ers ought to bring him back. Much like Ferrell, he’s solid if unspectacular, but he’s particularly good against the run. One of the feel-good stories of the last two seasons, his RFA status is the only question, namely, what tender the 49ers might offer him (the 2ndround tender carrying a fairly hefty cap charge), and if he might draw some interest around the league. Still, solid role players like Okuayinonu are what you build a good team with.

• The rest (LB Eric Kendricks, CB Chase Lucas, DL Kalia Davis) – In truth, none are good enough long term for where the 49ers are going. Kendricks got a beautiful moment in the playoffs, and it might be best for him to leave with that moment in 49ers folklore rather than play on past his prime much longer. Lucas was a preseason star who got a moment in the sun in the regular season with a huge stop onThursday Night Footballagainst the Rams, but had nothing much else to offer, while Kalia Davis has drifted around the lineup for most of his career without ever really threatening to make good on his athletic potential. Both Lucas and Davis are RFAs, it’s possible they get tendered, but neither should be on next year’s roster in my humble opinion.

Before You Go: The entire special teams unit is up for renewal, and some key coverage players

Brent Boyer had a pretty good year as the 49ers special teams coordinator, but he faces some key decisions this offseason. The following players are up for renewal, and all played a key part in the 49ers’ turnaround to #2 special teams unit in 2025:

• K Eddy Piniero – If the 49ers don’t re-sign him, something’s broken in the front office. He’s the team’s best kicker since Robbie Gould, and should be recognised as such. Cap charges are never too high, and a good kicker can net you more than you paid with ease. Bring him home.

• P Thomas Morstead – It’s quite tough to project if a team will bring back a 39-year-old punter, but Morstead ought to get a look. He was solid and dependable, and seemed like a glue guy for the ST unit as a whole. He’s said he’d like to be back, let’s see if the 49ers get that done or not.

• LS Jon Weeks – See Morstead, but replace 39-year-old punter with 40-year-old long-snapper! All of these positions are unremarkable until you get a bad one, and this trio proved to be a great battery this season. Keeping it together until you get a better idea would be my choice.

• The coverage unit players (LB Curtis Robinson, LB Garret Wallow, LB Luke Gifford) – I could forsee an interest in all three returning to the Niners, and in the case of the former two, the contracts shouldn’t be too difficult. Wallow played well on defense in the Wild Card win over the Eagles, too, so there’s value in keeping him around, especially with concussion concerns over Nick Martin.

The wildcard here will be Gifford, who got some starting experience, but was also excellent on special teams. He’s likely to be able to parlay that into a much better deal than last years one-year, $1.8m deal. Might that price be too high for the 49ers? We’ll see.

And that’s that! Next week, we’ll look at what might happen in terms of incomings, needs, and moves, while also taking a look at some very strange rumours that have been floating around, which might sink the entire column for next week … catch you then.