49ers’ spending spree has caught up with them. How will it affect roster building? (paywall)
“In the NFL, cash spending is different from salary cap dollars because the cap can be manipulated, often by restructuring contracts to push money into future years. Last year, for example, when the salary cap was $255.4 million, the 49ers spent $334 million in cash, most in the NFL.
In 2023 the 49ers ranked sixth in cash spending. They were fifth in 2021, fifth in 2020 and third in 2019, when they launched a five-season run that included four trips to the NFC Championship Game and two Super Bowls (2023 was the exception, when they ranked 17th).