Every team in the NFL has a player who is overpaid.
For the 49ers, they have a few whose talent and resume do not match their salary. Samson Ebukam is one player to look at as he makes $5.9 million with a salary cap hit of $8.25 million. That is a lot for a rotational edge player where the 49ers do not need to invest big money. But there is one other player who takes the cake in being the most overpaid player on the 49ers.
Mike McGlinchey.
With an estimated base salary of $10.9 million, McGlinchey is far and beyond overpaid. McGlinchey is being paid as the NINTH best offensive tackle in the league this season. He's never been close to sniffing that kind of prestige of a top-10 tackle. McGlinchey's salary puts him just $1 million behind Taylor Lewan -- a player who's actually proven top-10 ability.
Now, the fifth-year option on the rookie contract is comprised of other top offensive tackle contracts. I get that, but it does not mean McGlinchey is worth it. Coming off a season where he tore his quad after playing half the season makes him questionable at best going into 2022. The 49ers surely expected 2021 to be a bounce back and vastly improved year from McGlinchey than he had in 2020.
It isn't that McGlinchey is a bad player. Some of his criticism is over the top for sure, but some of it is warranted. While he is a great run blocker, a critical skill in the 49ers' run-heavy offense, he is an average pass blocker at best. The real moneymaker for an offensive tackle comes in pass protection. McGlinchey doesn't get beat often, but he does get beat in critical moments.
The several plays he gives up in clutch moments like he did in 2020 supersedes the majority of successful pass protection snaps he has. They just don't weigh the same. Another revealing factor was how the 49ers didn't skip too much of a beat last season when McGlinchey missed the rest of the year. Tom Compton of all people surprisingly filled in nicely. It was astonishing to see considering his prior games.
2022 is filled with massive pressure for McGlinchey. After Trey Lance, no other player on offense faces immense pressure than McGlinchey. It'll be a toss up to see if he can reclaim his original form following a torn quad, then he'll have to prove he is improved as a pass blocker. That is where he will really earn a lucrative extension as he enters a contract year. The 49ers need him to be that or close to that for the sake of Lance.
Otherwise, 2022 can be a long season if McGlinchey falters.
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