49ers Surprisingly Linked to Cutting Key Free Agency Signing

The San Francisco 49ers brought in wide receiver Christian Kirk during free agency this spring, hoping he would help rebuild their receiving group. Now, just months later, an NFL analyst suggests the team might release him before the regular season even starts.

Kevin Patra, a senior news writer for NFL.com, named Kirk as the 49ers’ standout candidate for the cut list ahead of the league’s 53-man roster deadline. The main factor is a calf injury that has kept the veteran off the field for much of training camp.

Kirk signed a one-year deal that reports said could be worth as much as $6 million. Yet the picture in the 49ers’ receiver room looks very different today than it did in March, creating a real roster question for the coaching staff.

Patra pointed to three developments that could work against Kirk: the ongoing calf issue, the return of Deebo Samuel and the strong camp showing by second-round rookie De’Zhaun Stribling.

“The WR could be a candidate to be released and then later re-signed or elevated from the practice squad when healthy,” Patra wrote.

That idea would have seemed unlikely when Kirk first joined the team. The 29-year-old arrived with 432 career receptions, 5,415 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns across eight NFL seasons. He also posted more than 1,100 yards in 2022 while with the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving head coach Kyle Shanahan another seasoned target.

The calf strain has prevented Kirk from proving himself this summer. He remained among the players who sat out practice on Aug. 23, extending an absence that began in late July.

At the same time, Stribling has given the 49ers reasons to speed up their plans for the No. 33 overall draft pick. The rookie brings a 6-foot-2 frame, 4.36 speed and the ability to line up at all three receiver spots.

Samuel’s return to the mix added yet another established presence to a group Kirk was brought in to bolster. The combination has shifted the depth chart in ways few expected earlier this year.

Money is not driving any potential decision. Spotrac lists the underlying value of Kirk’s contract at $3 million, with $2.78 million guaranteed and a projected cap number of $2.96 million. Releasing him would leave the 49ers with $2.78 million in dead money and only about $180,000 in actual savings.

In short, cutting Kirk would do almost nothing for the salary cap. It would simply be a way to manage the initial 53-man roster while he recovers, with the chance to bring him back later.

NFL rules allow practice squads to carry up to six veterans no matter how many seasons they have accrued. Because Kirk is a vested veteran, he would become a free agent right away if released rather than going through waivers, which means another team could sign him.

Shanahan has not said the team plans to cut Kirk. On Aug. 25 the coach noted it is “possible” the receiver starts the season on injured reserve after roughly a month on the sidelines with the calf strain.

Putting Kirk on IR would keep his contract intact and leave open a path for a later return, though the 49ers would need to use one of their available designations. That route might prove safer for a player the front office specifically targeted in the offseason.

Still, the fact that an outright release is even being discussed shows how quickly the situation has changed. Kirk came aboard as one of San Francisco’s more notable free-agent additions. An injury, Samuel’s presence and Stribling’s progress have now raised legitimate questions about whether he needs one of those first 53 spots.

For a player who once described joining Shanahan and the 49ers as a “no-brainer,” the coming days could bring a much different kind of choice.