Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
With top-tier talent at several positions for the San Francisco 49ers, it isn't a surprise that the organization holds several of the highest-paying contracts in the NFL.
However, to maintain their roster alongside those top-of-the-market deals, the 49ers also have several "value" contracts on their roster, which has allowed them to foster a competitive team over the past couple of seasons.
Which contract is the best value for the 49ers in 2022?
PFF conducted their annual "Every NFC team's best contract" list, examining the best-value deal for every NFC team ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
Last season, for the 49ers, it was veteran cornerback
Jason Verrett, who re-signed with the organization on a one-year, $5.5 million deal following his stellar 2020 season, one of only two seasons in his career that he did not end the season on IR.
Unfortunately, Verrett's injury issues continued as he suffered a torn ACL in Week 1, causing him to miss the entire 2021 season. The 31-year-old corner re-signed with the organization on a one-year deal this offseason.
This year, once again, the player is a vital member of the secondary, as PFF anointed defensive back Jimmie Ward as the 49ers' best-value contract for the 2022 season.
Ward, entering his age 31 season, is in the final year of his three-year, $28.5 million extension that he signed in 2020, and has been the enforcer for the San Francisco defense, both in the run game and in coverage.
"Ward has been arguably the most reliable run-defending safety in the NFL since signing this extension back in 2020, with his 85.9 run-defense grade ranking fifth at the position on top of earning back-to-back 90.0-plus tackling grades. Ward has earned a negative grade on just 1.4% of his run-defense snaps over the past two seasons, the top mark among safeties, with
zero missed tackles, per PFF charting."
"He tends to play deeper than some of the safeties we'd associate with stout run defense who line up closer to the line of scrimmage, so we're not saying he's the best down-for-down run-defending safety necessarily, but when he has an opportunity to make a play on the ball carrier, he makes it almost every single time."
"In coverage, Ward's 79.8 grade across the past two seasons ranks 18th. He's a model of consistency on the backend and has played a huge role in the 49ers' secondary amid a ton of turnover at the cornerback positions in recent years."
Given his strong play, Ward could be an extension candidate prior to the season, potentially lowering his $12.94 million cap hit for 2022, a move that could be necessary if the 49ers hold on to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has unfollowed the San Francisco 49ers on Instagram. Is it time for the fanbase to panic? Probably not. NFL players have made similar moves in comparable contract negotiation situations, such as Deebo Samuel's actions in 2022. However, in Samuel's case, the offseason drama escalated to the point that he requested a trade.
So far, no such request has been made by Aiyuk or his representatives—that we know of.
While Aiyuk has unfollowed the 49ers on Instagram (h/t Jose Sanchez of SI), he continues to follow the team on X (formerly
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be present today as the team reports for the start of its offseason program. Purdy was a little early, as he hosted a youth football camp over the weekend.
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group spoke to the 49ers quarterback during the event and asked him about one of his teammates, Brandon Aiyuk. The star wide receiver is currently in contract extension negotiations with the 49ers, and the team has emphasized keeping him around for the foreseeable future as an offseason priority.
Purdy has
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group caught up with Brock Purdy over the weekend as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Levi's Stadium. Today, Purdy and most of his teammates will report to the team for the start of the offseason program, which will be limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation over the next couple of weeks.
While this offseason holds significance for Purdy as he seeks to build upon an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him set a single-season franchise
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has released his first round mock draft, complete with insights from opposing college coaches about every prospect. Like many mock drafts, Feldman's has the Niners addressing the O-Line in the first round. Feldman thinks the Niners will select Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims with the No. 31 overall pick. Mims, a 6-foot-8, 340-pound junior, is a popular pick for the Niners in mock drafts,
