Lynch confirms 49ers’ plan to release Hargrave in offseason

The 49ers are terminating the contract of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave two years earlier than originally planned. But San Francisco general manager John Lynch made it known on Wednesday that he wants the veteran defensive tackle back on the team in 2025. "Would we be interested in having him (back)? Of course," Lynch said of Hargrave. "Is that something we've come to an agreement on and is it something that fits in our plans? We'll see." Hargrave, who turns 32 next month, is a nine-year NFL veteran who previously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. Despite signing a four-year deal with the 49ers as a free agent in 2023, Hargrave will not remain under contract to the team this offseason. In essence, he will hit the free-agent market in mid-March. As part of their salary-cap restructuring, the 49ers re-worked Hargrave's contract late in the season in order to pave the way for the team to release him in a cost-cutting move as a designated post-June 1 release. "It gives him an opportunity to go see what his market is," Lynch said. "And it may include us." In early December, the 49ers restructured Hargrave's contract for the 2025 and '26 seasons in order to...