The One Contract Holding Back the San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are looking to make a return to the Super Bowl after blowing a fourth-quarter lead and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. But, with very limited cap space this year, the 49ers had to make the difficult decision to trade away DeForest Buckner so they can eventually reach a long-term agreement with tight end George Kittle.

Even after the Buckner move, the 49ers are still dealing with salary cap issues, which can largely be attributed to the contract the team gave defensive end Dee Ford.

Reports indicate that the 49ers are making Ford and middle linebacker Kwon Alexander available for trade. But, when comparing the two, Alexander has a more team-friendly deal than Ford, and it's not even close. We're talking about a $30 million difference!

The 49ers were looking to make a splash on defense last offseason, as they inquired with the Chiefs about the services of Ford. They got the deal done by sending a 2020 second-round pick to Kansas City. Additionally, general manager John Lynch signed the former Chiefs edge rusher to an absurd five-year, $87.5 million deal.

Even though the 49ers defense flourished last season, Ford made a rather minimal impact for his squad. He was limited to just 11 regular season games in 2019 due to injury, and recorded just 14 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

When looking at Ford's deal, outright releasing him is out of the question, because they'd actually lose an additional $4 million in cap space as a result. But, if the 49ers were to find a trade partner, they'd free up around $10 million. So, trading him is the obvious path for San Francisco to go.

The 49ers have the unenviable task of trying to retain the likes of Kittle, Richard Sherman, and Trent Williams before they hit the open market next year. Losing them due to Ford's contract is inexcusable, but it could be a reality if the team can't find a trade partner.