© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers have their second opt-out in offensive tackle Shon Coleman, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He joins wide receiver Travis Benjamin as the only 49ers players to opt out of the 2020 season. Benjamin will receive a $150,000 stipend as a voluntary opt-out and have his contract pushed to the 2021 season, per the NFL’s agreement on opt-out language. The $150,000 comes out of next year’s salary.
Coleman, though, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when he was 18 before being cleared two years later. Cancer is one of the conditions for falling in the high-risk category.
Unlike Benjamin, Coleman would receive a $350,000 stipend and his contract will toll to 2021. Unlike Benjamin, he would earn an accrued season, so his base salary should improve from the $825,000 it is this season to $990,000 next year, for a player with 4-6 years of service time (currently, he has three years).
That, of course, assumes that the NFL and NFLPA don’t schedule down the minimum salary increases considering potentially massive financial losses from this year, though the prospect decreasing minimum salaries would surely be met with widespread anger and refusal among players.
Reminder: the deadline to opt out of the 2020 season is tomorrow at 4pm ET. pic.twitter.com/fgVLutWvJ3
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) August 5, 2020
So, the 49ers are down a tackle. The 49ers prepared themselves for this, though.
When some folks expected them to draft a corner in the fifth round of this year’s draft, they took Colton McKivitz. Behind Mike McGlinchey and Trent Williams, there’s McKivitz, Daniel Brunskill and Justin Skule. Coleman would also have been in the mix, and was in line to be the swing tackle backup last season before tearing his ACL in the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
That draft decision leaves them with comfortable depth at tackle, even with Coleman’s departure.
