The free agency pool is expected to grow over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters by releasing cap casualties. These cut candidates should pique the San Francisco 49ers’ interest. We are going to go over some players who were recently listed as potential cap casualties that the Niners should pursue.
Steelers EDGE Nick Herbig
Herbig played around 60 percent of the snaps for the Steelers this past season. I’m not sure why anybody would cut a 25-year-old pass rusher with one year left on his contract when he’s making $1.3 million in 2026. A more realistic scenario would be the 49ers trading a draft pick for Herbig, who is stuck behind Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt.
Herbig led the Steelers with 29 pressures through 10 weeks of the season. He also led the league with a 26.4 pass rush win rate in 2025. He is the kind of pass rusher the Niners would love to get their hands on, especially coming from a defense where he rushed from a two-point stance. Herbig finished 2025 with 14 tackles for losses and 7.5 sacks.
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
The 49ers are expected to release Brandon Aiyuk. The offense struggled without a consistent No. 1 threat in the lineup. Defenses did not have to defend the entire field.
That would not be the case with Thomas Jr., who averaged 17.4 air yards per target after Week 13, which was the second-most among wide receivers in the league. Thomas Jr. saw his role change after the Jaguars acquired Jakobi Meyers. During the final month and a half of the season, over 38 percent of Thomas’s targets came on deep throws.
Thomas Jr. became an afterthought under Jacksonville’s new regime. His production was nearly sliced in half, going from 87 catches as a rookie to 48 in Year 2. The new coaching staff has no ties to Thomas, making him a prime candidate for somebody who will have a chance of scenery this offseason.
Thomas Jr. is a hair under 6’3″ with a 90th percentile wingspan, 88th percentile 10-yard split, and a 94th percentile 40-yard dash. He needs refinement as a route runner, but the Niners could use his speed and vertical ability.
Seahawks CB Riq Woolen
Woolen is listed, but he is an unrestricted free agent.
One thing the 49ers found out the hard way this past season is that cornerbacks matter more the later the down and distance and the greater the distance is–especially when you’re lacking in the pass rush department. Woolen is the only perimeter cornerback to be in the top 15 in yards per cover snaps in the last three years. Some will remember Woolen for giving up a double move or a big play here and there.
Over the course of the season, those are not the kind of plays that will consistently beat you. Woolen allowed 10 receptions of 10+ air yards this season as the primary defender.
The 6’4″, 205-pound cornerback is one of the fastest defenders in the league, and would drastically improve the 49ers’ team speed defensively. He also broke up 10 passes, had an interception, and only allowed 4.5 yards per target on 55 targets with a completion percentage of 43.6 percent.
The issue is Woolen is young and on the open market, which means he’ll command a deal that could be as high as $100 million over four years. He plays a premium position, so Woolen won’t be cheap.
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