The 2025 season fell short of the 49ers’ expectations, behind Kyle Shanahan and the reemergence of Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator. However, despite dealing with an injury bug and missing Brandon Aiyuk for the entire season, San Francisco finds itself in the midst of yet another playoff run.
Due to injuries plaguing the 49ers, numerous roster moves have been made, which could prevent the re-signing of multiple free agents set to hit the market this summer.
49ers 2026 Free Agents:
Key players like Jauan Jennings, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Jake Tonges are expected to be some of the higher-priority names to rejoin the squad for 2026, but that still leaves a plethora of free agents for the 49ers to sort through once the playoffs commence.
Here is the full list of the upcoming free agents for the 49ers:
- G Ben Bartch
- WR Kendrick Bourne
- LT Spencer Burford
- DL Kalia Davis
- DL Jordan Elliott
- LB Luke Gifford
- DL Kevin Givens
- ED Yetur Gross-Matos
- C Matt Hennessy
- LB Tarron Jackson
- WR Jauan Jennings
- CB Chase Lucas
- WR Skyy Moore
- P Thomas Morstead
- ED Sam Okuayinonu
- K Eddy Pineiro
- CB Jason Pinnock
- RT Austen Pleasants
- RB Brian Robinson
- RB Patrick Taylor
- WR Trent Taylor
- TE Jake Tonges
- LS Jon Weeks
49ers 2026 Cap Space Outlook
Per Spotrac, the 49ers will have around $50 million in cap space, giving them not only a chance to make a splash in free agency but also to re-sign multiple key players who helped keep their 2025 season in motion while other players went down. 49ers GM John Lynch will have several decisions to make, but a few players have played their way into retention.
MORE: 2026 7-Round NFL Mock Draft
San Francisco would be wise to retain Jauan Jennings and Jake Tonges as a priority, looking ahead to the 2026 offseason. Jennings has become far more than just a complementary wide receiver, logging nine touchdowns this season. He is the physical tone-setter in the passing game, thriving in traffic and consistently winning on third down. His chemistry with Brock Purdy and his understanding of Shanahan’s timing-based system are not easily replaced.
Jake Tonges, meanwhile, is the type of tight end every Shanahan offense needs for when the going gets tough, as the soon-to-be free agent has shown up big in games without George Kittle. Keeping Jennings and Tonges preserves reliability on a 49ers squad that has seen a revolving door of injuries, so they clearly understand the importance of depth.
Regarding depth, it would be wise to retain either Luke Glifford or Curtis Robinson at linebacker, especially if the team experiences another season like 2025, when the position sees constant turnover. Securing either player on a favorable deal could be a prudent move for the team.
The future of whether the 49ers will retain any of these players is uncertain. However, with significant cap space available for the upcoming season, there is a strong possibility that San Francisco will bring back a few of these free agents for 2026.
