The San Francisco 49ers decided to spend some of their salary-cap space on a player already on the roster.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the 49ers and offensive tackle Joe Staley agreed to terms on a reworked contract that will give the veteran a raise over the next two seasons, per a source informed of the pact.
Staley was originally due to make $11 million combined in 2018 and 2019. Now, per Rapoport, he'll make $17.4 million total. This season Staley will get a raise from $5.5 million to $8.72 million.
The 49ers had more than $47 million in cap space before the move, per Over The Cap, so this does little to affect their financial situation in the short term.
The move appears motivated by rewarding their longtime stalwart left tackle. Perhaps the pay bump was to convince Staley to stick around with Jimmy Garoppolo for the next two years instead of contemplating retirement.
Turning 34 in August, Staley remains one of the top left tackles in the NFL. The raise puts his pay better in line with his value. The Niners are ensuring Jimmy G's blindside blocker is happy entering what could be a turnaround season for a legendary franchise that has been down too long.
