Latest news with #McKivitz
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breakout star tops short list of 49ers key free agents in 2026
The 2025 offseason was a painful one for the 49ers with several key names leaving the Bay Area. A quick look ahead to the 2026 offseason shows a much easier path ahead for San Francisco with only a few exceptions. As of early July it's impossible to know exactly what the 49ers' 53-man roster will look like. We're making a handful of assumptions with their complete list of soon-to-be free agents from Over the Cap and picking out four key players San Francisco may have a tough decision on. WR Jauan Jennings It isn't really a tough decision. The 49ers should keep Jennings. However, his near 1,000-yard season in 2024 put him on the map as a viable top-two NFL wide receiver. That may inflate his market beyond what San Francisco can afford as they recalibrate their roster to open another Super Bowl window. If the team's injury issues persist in 2025 and Jennings continues to operate as one of the team's top two pass catchers, they may change their roster calculus to ensure they can add him on a long-term deal. If Jennings struggles to replicate his stellar 2024, or if he returns to his tertiary role in the 49ers' receiving corps, his market may deflate far enough to allow San Francisco to keep their 2020 seventh-round selection. RT Colton McKivitz We highlighted some of the potential difficulties that could come with retaining McKivitz if he continues improving after his strong 2025 performance. San Francisco may find themselves in the same place they were with Mike McGlinchey in 2023 where his market outpaced what the 49ers could or would pay their starting right tackle. The problem for the 49ers is left tackle Trent Williams could hang up his pads next year and open a gaping hole on quarterback Brock Purdy's blind side. Replacing Williams is going to require big-time assets. McKivitz's exit in free agency would also mean using significant financial figures or draft capital to replace him. Whether McKivitz returns could depend less on his performance and more on his cost. OL Spencer Burford This isn't a huge name, but Burford could prove to be an important piece of the 49ers' offensive line this season. He's at least in line to be their top reserve who can fill in at either guard spot or left tackle. He may also wind up winning the starting left guard job and putting himself in line for a pretty significant raise in 2026. San Francisco hasn't invested much in its offensive line depth during Kyle Shanahan's tenure as head coach. If Burford starts or plays significant snaps and performs well, he could quickly enter an area of the market the 49ers aren't willing to play in for a starting guard or reserve OL. DL Jordan Elliott It's easy to imagine the 49ers retaining Elliott given how their recent defensive line teardown went. They want to get younger in that group, and they don't want to have any bloated contracts. Elliott's experience could make him valuable for the young San Francisco D-line. If he starts and puts together a strong 2025 season, the 49ers may have to retain him to avoid needing to use more draft capital on the interior of the defensive line. More 49ers: 49ers badly need last 21st-round picks to reverse troubling NFL draft trend
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers former 5th-round pick could be playing for huge new contract in 2025
The San Francisco 49ers will return most of their offensive starters from last season in 2025, and that trend will continue in the 2026 offseason. However, one name sticks out as a free-agent-to-be who could be in line for a massive raise from the 49ers next year. Right tackle Colton McKivitz is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers. Before last season he signed a one-year contract extension worth up to $5.85 million with $3.785 million in new guarantees according to Over the Cap. That puts the 2020 fifth-round pick in line for unrestricted free agency next year after signing a pair of short-term new deals. Entering 2025 it doesn't appear McKivitz will break the bank as a free agent. Some may even argue the 49ers would be okay letting him walk and replacing him with a draft pick. However, over the last two years McKivitz has gone from a passable RT to something closer to an above-average starter. Entering the 2023 campaign McKivitz had played in only 28 games with five starts across three seasons. He was even waived before the 2021 season and eventually spent part of the year on the practice squad. In 2023 he took over as the full-time starter at right tackle and had a rough go despite playing his natural position. Pro Football Focus had McKivitz down for a whopping 47 pressures and nine sacks in 573 pass blocking snaps during his first season as a starter. He also posted a 94.8 pass blocking efficiency mark, which ranked 52nd among 58 OTs with at least 580 pass blocking snaps. It was not a good showing and certainly produced questions about his long-term viability as a bookend to left tackle Trent Williams. The 49ers were rewarded for rolling with McKivitz in 2024. His play improved dramatically, particularly in the second half of the year. He allowed 36 pressures and just two sacks in 645 pass blocking snaps. His efficiency jumped to 96.9, which ranked 27th out of 60 OTs with at least 580 pass blocking snaps. His numbers in the second half give some credence to the theory that McKivitz just needed to find his NFL legs at his natural position. After spending his entire four-year college career at RT, the 49ers tried moving him to the interior before flipping him to left tackle when Williams was hurt. Now he's getting to permanently stick at his most familiar spot and he's producing. In his first seven games last year he gave up 19 pressures, six QB hits and one sack. Over the final 11 games McKivitz allowed just 17 pressures, zero QB hits and one sack. It was a marked improvement for a player who'd struggled so mightily the year prior. There's a chance McKivitz plateaus in his NFL improvement and limits his market where the 49ers may be able to retain him at an affordable rate. If his ascension continues, on the other hand, McKivitz could be in for a sizable raise that annually far exceeds his career earnings of just over $9 million. If he does improve at that rate, it will put San Francisco's offensive line in a very good spot in 2025. It may also put them in the market for a new, less expensive right tackle next offseason. More 49ers: 49ers first-round pick identified as top candidate for 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year
