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 |
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers have a 'real legit plan' in place for Nick Bosa, says Raheem Morris
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was among the nine players who did not practice on Tuesday. However, general manager John Lynch revealed during a radio interview earlier in the day that Bosa plans to participate on Wednesday before the team travels to... -
53 and Counting: 49ers Still Have Roster Moves to Make
The San Francisco 49ers trimmed their roster to the mandatory 53-man limit yesterday, and while most of them were expected, some of them were surprises, including a trade. Here are the players who made the roster by Sunday's deadline: Quarterbacks (3): Brock Purdy, Mac... -
49ers practice in Melbourne without Nick Bosa, other injury notes
The San Francisco 49ers held their first practice of the week at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Australia, as the team prepares for its Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The most notable absence was star pass rusher Nick Bosa, who returned to practice last week after an... -
49ers in Melbourne: Rams' plan to avoid San Francisco fans could backfire
The NFL seemingly took away a significant advantage for the San Francisco 49ers by scheduling head coach Kyle Shanahan's team to face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, in Week 1. The 49ers have essentially benefited from two home games each season while playing the...