The 49ers have a distinct advantage over the Bears even before kickoff Sunday. This advantage wasn’t built between the lines, but instead over the course of the offseason. San Francisco will go into Week 1 with a massive gap between them and the Bears in terms of spending. It’s the largest discrepancy among the first week matchups according to Over the Cap.
In fact, there’s only two positions in which Chicago will outspend the 49ers this season: safety and interior defensive line (although that doesn’t include Arik Armstead who Over the Cap still lists an edge defender even though he’s moved inside).
Here’s the full chart:
Biggest salary mismatch today is the #49ers vs the #Bears. Bears will likely be in this spot almost every week pic.twitter.com/sU3gr4OzzL
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) September 11, 2022
This is a good illustration of the difference in timeline for these two clubs. San Francisco has drafted and developed some stars, and got to a place to pay high-priced free agent talent like Trent Williams and Mooney Ward.
Winning in the checkbook doesn’t translate to wins in the NFL though. The 49ers will still have to play well and execute, but it definitely helps to have such a wide talent advantage.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if San Francisco regularly outspends opponents this season. That’s the cost of trying to build a team that can compete for a Super Bowl.
