The four-year period being measured is between 2013 and 2016. The total salary cap during that period is $554.55 million. That would make $493.55 million the required 89 percent. The 49ers, over that four-year span, have spent $514.49 million.
Only three teams have spent less than the 49ers from 2013 through 2016. Those teams may surprise you. They are the New England Patriots, the Carolina Panthers, and the Oakland Raiders.
The Patriots are contenders each and every season. The Panthers were in the Super Bowl in February. The Raiders are currently on pace for the top seed in the AFC with a 10-2 record. So not only are the 49ers among the teams that are spending the least but apparently, the money they are spending is being spent badly.
As long as you are drafting wisely, spending less is not necessarily a bad thing. However, the team's inability to build for the future has put them in their current situation. The 49ers have just one win this season and have lost 11 in a row, which is a franchise record. They are widely considered to have one of the weakest rosters in the league.
It is interesting to note that just one (Philadelphia) of the top seven spenders in the list below currently has a losing record.
The next four-year period for minimum spending runs from 2017 through 2020.
| Team | 2013-2016 Spending |
| Philadelphia Eagles | $613,928,134 |
| Denver Broncos | $587,712,791 |
| Seattle Seahawks | $584,305,975 |
| Green Bay Packers | $583,138,740 |
| Miami Dolphins | $577,975,260 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | $575,541,332 |
| Buffalo Bills | $573,647,850 |
| Chicago Bears | $568,301,610 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | $567,289,411 |
| Baltimore Ravens | $562,425,698 |
| San Diego Chargers | $562,232,116 |
| Indianapolis Colts | $556,335,689 |
| Atlanta Falcons | $550,614,572 |
| New York Giants | $543,787,033 |
| Arizona Cardinals | $543,327,538 |
| Los Angeles Rams | $541,957,711 |
| New Orleans Saints | $539,836,498 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $539,736,102 |
| Minnesota Vikings | $539,162,454 |
| New York Jets | $533,151,519 |
| Washington Redskins | $532,545,662 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | $530,698,171 |
| Detroit Lions | $530,210,549 |
| Tennessee Titans | $524,505,258 |
| Dallas Cowboys | $523,033,036 |
| Houston Texans | $517,212,166 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | $516,908,734 |
| Cleveland Browns | $516,158,864 |
| San Francisco 49ers | $514,488,198 |
| New England Patriots | $500,083,836 |
| Carolina Panthers | $495,149,346 |
| Oakland Raiders | $491,433,408 |
NFL clubs are required to spend 89% of the cap in cash during a 4-year period. Here is how every team stacks up, per our updated numbers. pic.twitter.com/FI7Gf2I3OA
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) December 5, 2016