Running back Jerick McKinnon’s new contract saves the 49ers $5.64 million on cap space, according to numbers filed through the NFL Players' Association.
McKinnon and the 49ers agreed on Tuesday to a significantly reduced base salary for the 2020 season, lowering his pay from $6.5 million to $910,000. The remaining unamortized signing bonus money of $2 million from his original contract is spread out over this year and next year. McKinnon’s cap figure goes from $8.55 million to $2.91 million.
General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan placed a priority on keeping McKinnon with the team due to his unique ability as a route-runner and pass-catcher out of the backfield.
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In McKinnon’s first four NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he caught 142 passes for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 58 games.
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The 49ers paid McKinnon $15.5 million the past two seasons while he did not step on the field for a regular-season game. He sustained a torn ACL in his right knee in practice a week before the start of the 2018 regular season.
He went back on injured reserve last summer after the ACL graft did not fill back in. A follow-up surgery was required to pack the ACL graft with bone marrow from his hip, he said.
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Currently, the 49ers have McKinnon, Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson under contract. The 49ers also placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent Matt Breida, who might draw attention from teams looking to acquire him in a trade.