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49ers gain massive salary cap boost from 2026 adjustments

Originally posted on 49ers Webzone | By David Bonilla | Last updated Mar 13, 2026 6:01 PM ET

According to Spotrac, the 2026 salary cap adjustments for each NFL team have been announced, and the San Francisco 49ers received the second-largest increase in the league.

San Francisco gained $20.7 million in additional cap space, trailing only the Tennessee Titans, who received a $24.3 million adjustment.

2026 Salary Cap Adjustments for each NFL team have been announced, providing significant cap space for the Titans, 49ers, Browns, and Cardinals, while Buffalo, Seattle, Carolina, and the Giants took small steps backwards. pic.twitter.com/PPvsItgDeQ— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 13, 2026

"Mostly incentives/bonuses that were considered unlikely in 2025, but ended up being met & paid out," Spotrac noted. "Cap credits for things such as offset language, and injury settlements also factor in here."

With the adjustment applied, Spotrac now lists the 49ers' total 2026 salary cap at more than $341 million, the third-highest cap figure in the NFL.

According to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard, the adjustment also includes proceeds from a salary-cap insurance policy the team took out on Nick Bosa's contract. That policy reportedly accounts for over $7 million of the additional cap space following the defensive end's ACL injury.

ESPN's Kalyn Kahler first reported news of that insurance policy.

The 49ers benefit big time from a number of different factors, including a salary-cap insurance policy they took out on Nick Bosa's contract that pays them back over $7 million in adjustments.
In total: $20.7 million of new 2026 cap space for SF — still waiting for cap numbers… https://t.co/BPgiWpXbH1
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) March 13, 2026

The extra flexibility could prove important as the 49ers navigate the offseason. San Francisco has already been more aggressive in free agency than it was in 2025, and the additional cap space provides further room to maneuver.

This article first appeared on 49ers Webzone and was syndicated with permission.

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