The 49ers move one step closer to incorporating their rookies into the roster by signing the 4th round pick (113th overall) on June 13. DT CJ West signed a 4-year $5.21 million rookie contract, with a signing bonus of $1.01 million and a cap hit of $1 million in 2025. But it also left Kyle Shanahan with one question in his mind. What will it take to sign their 2nd round pick (43rd overall), DT Alfred Collins? He is the only rookie who hasn’t signed with the franchise yet. Here’s a hint about what’s going on with the Longhorns product.
Up until this year, fully guaranteed contracts were the exclusive territory of first-round picks, thanks to the 2011 CBA. Second-rounders would get partial guarantees, maybe signing bonuses, maybe some salary locked in for year 1 or 2, but never the whole thing. But the SF reporter David Lombardi revealed that all changed this year when Carson Schwesinger (Browns, pick 33) and Jayden Higgins (Texans, pick 34) got fully guaranteed four-year deals, worth about $10.8 million each. That set a brand new precedent, and now every other second-rounder, including Alfred Collins, wants in on the fully guaranteed party.
While talking about the Collins’ contract, Lombardi said, “In Alfred Collins’ case, he is pick number 43, he’s due contract about $10.3 million total. So how much of that’s going to be fully guaranteed? Right now, he’s got a signing bonus that’s slotted to him through the collective bargaining agreement at $4.1 million. Beyond that, it’s going to be up to the team and Alfred Collins’ agent to determine exactly where his total amount of fully guaranteed money is going to land. It’s obviously not going to be as high as the top two guys.”
For Kyle Shanahan, that’s a big headache. The 49ers are in an interesting position, ranking second-to-last in dead salary cap space ($92 million). But they also rank 2nd in the league with more than $46 million in effective salary cap space. Collins’ total contract projection is around $10.3 million with a locked-in signing bonus of $4.1 million. The big question is, how much of the remaining $6.2M will be guaranteed? He’s not going to get what Schwesinger and Higgins did. But he won’t settle for crumbs either.
There’s another factor about Collins, a minor calf injury sidelined him during OTAs and minicamp. So, he’s spending time on the sidelines. They want him ready by training camp. His 7+ foot wingspan puts him in the elite defensive line company. Alfred Collins isn’t being difficult. He’s part of a broader rookie contract standoff. For those of you who don’t know, only two second-rounders have signed their contracts thus far.
Talking of contract disputes, the 49ers aren’t the only ones facing issues. The Bengals haven’t even signed a deal with their first-round pick yet.
Kyle Shanahan might grab the prized rookie from Bengals
When the draft ended, Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart was a cheerful man. The AFC North franchise drafted him in the 1st round (17th overall). But things took a bitter turn when they refused to give a fully guaranteed contract without a complicated contract language about later years. One such move was keeping the right to void his contracts if he made any comment deemed negative for the team’s image. The agent stepped in and stopped him from signing the contract.
Now, Kyle Shanahan wants to sign him up. The NFL rumor mill churned out a boastful package that claimed an exchange of 2026 third‑rounder plus a 2027 fifth-round pick. Moreover, the 3rd round pick escalates to the 2nd round based on his performance. For the Bengals, it could be a jackpot.
They are already weighing up an extension with their star, Trey Hendrickson. The clock’s ticking for them. If Stewart isn’t signed by August 5, the Bengals can’t trade him this season. If the situation continues till after the week 10 game (November 11), then he sits the entire year. NBC’s Mike Florio also floated an idea that he could return to college and re-enter the 2026 draft. But that doesn’t help his image.
The contract issues are making life worse for Kyle Shanahan. He wants to focus on building his team. But with other options available and plenty of money to spend, the Niners expect him to come out flying.
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