Feb 9, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York at the Super Bowl LX host committee handoff press conference at Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jed York Opens Up on 49ers’ Offseason Salary Cap Decisions

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Henry Cheal | Last updated Apr 3, 2026 5:00 PM ET

After an abysmally disappointing 2024 season in which the San Francisco 49ers went 6–11 a year after reaching the Super Bowl, the proposed plan was to get cheaper and younger players onto an aging roster.

To an extent, they’ve addressed that. The 49ers spent many of their picks in the 2025 Draft on defense, a necessary step as the team dealt with a wave of expensive contracts. Talanoa Hufanga, Aaron Banks, Dre Greenlaw and Charvarius Ward all left in free agency, though Greenlaw was brought back after one year away.

But now they're getting older on the other side of the ball, and on offense, the 49ers are giving a different impression with their plans after this offseason. The average age of the 49ers' projected starting offense is 30.8 years.

Jed York discusses how the 49ers are balancing their short- and long-term future

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Last year we tried to assess where we wanted to spend money and we chose to mainly spend it on our own guys and when you’re locking up your quarterback and two Hall of Fame players in Fred Warner and George Kittle, that’s where we chose to spend our money," shared York at the NFL's Annual League Meeting.

"We didn’t want to lose Dre Greenlaw last year— love Dre. Super excited that he’s back. But that’s how this league works.

"The folks that we signed in free agency, Mike Evans, is somebody I’ve known and respected for a long time. The guy wants to be here and he wants to be a part of a team that can go compete and win a Championship…

"What you spent last year it all sort of ties together when you’re spending money and how you’re spending money and you have to be smart about that.”

The key takeaway from this would imply that York’s comments reveal a front office focused on investing heavily in foundational players rather than spreading money across the roster.

Extending Brock Purdy alongside established leaders like Warner and Kittle shows a belief that championship contention starts with a strong internal core.

At the same time, York admits those choices can lead to difficult departures, highlighting Greenlaw as an example of how salary cap realities force teams into uncomfortable decisions.

By referencing the signing of future Hall of Famer Evans, York signals the team still intends to compete at a high level.

Ultimately, York presents the team’s spending as a calculated effort to stay competitive while maintaining long-term roster flexibility. However, questions remain about how effective that approach will be as the offense grows older.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: