NFL informs 49ers, other teams that salary cap is projected to exceed $301 million in 2026
“According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap is projected to land between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team.
The projected increase represents a substantial jump from the 2025 salary cap of $279.2 million.”
49ers address key future need in NFL.com 2026 mock draft
“He’s not a physically dominant blocker, but [Utah OT Caleb] Lomu has the strong technique and good balance to be a starting left or right tackle,” Edholm wrote. “The 49ers won’t have Trent Williams forever.”
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Lomu allowed eight pressures and zero sacks across 383 pass-blocking snaps during the 2025 season. His 82.1 pass-blocking grade marked a career high, though his 62.0 run-blocking grade represented a noticeable drop from his 70.1 mark in 2024.
The 49ers place a premium on run blocking, giving Lomu ample opportunity to improve an area that PFF identified as a weakness in his play in 2025. He also profiles as a natural long-term replacement at left tackle, having logged 1,570 snaps at the position over the past two seasons.
Even if Lomu—listed at 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds—isn’t ready to start immediately, he would benefit from developing behind a future Hall of Fame offensive lineman in Williams, who remains one of the NFL’s most dominant and reliable forces in the trenches.”
Who will be the 49ers’ next defensive coordinator?
“An internal hire like Bradley could also buy San Francisco more time to continue developing someone else, such as K.J. Wright, the defensive quality control coach, to eventually take over the role.
Bradley’s résumé as a defensive coordinator is a bit of a mixed bag with plenty of early success and not as much in his more recent turns. In 2011 and 2012 in Seattle, Bradley coordinated defenses that finished seventh and first in the NFL in scoring defense, respectively. His 2017 unit with the Chargers finished third.
But Bradley’s most recent opportunity in Indianapolis came with less success; the Colts finished 28th, 28th and 24th in scoring defense from 2022 to 2024, though that group was 18th in defensive expected points added in that time.
For the 49ers in 2025, Bradley was a sounding board for Saleh and became a player favorite for his pregame motivational speeches.“
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