The San Francisco 49ers are strapped for cash, so they opted to trade away one of their highest-paid players.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander, who signed with the team in 2019, was dealt to the New Orleans Saints on Monday in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick and linebacker Kiko Alonso.
Alexander's time with the 49ers was anticlimactic. He joined San Francisco's stalwart defense as a free agent on a huge four-year, $54 million contract, with $27 million guaranteed. In his first year with the Niners, he played in just eight regular season games, then returned to action during the playoffs.