Another less-discussed decision involves the defensive side, particularly at cornerback. Charvarius Ward is entering the final year of the three-year deal he signed in 2022 and will seek a substantial contract next offseason.
"Yeah, I'd like to stick around," Ward recently said. "... That's the business side of things. I'll just do my job, go out there and ball, put the pressure on them. Hopefully, they give me a bag."
Deommodore Lenoir, one of the team's promising young cornerbacks, is also entering the final year of his rookie deal. The 49ers might have to choose between Ward and Lenoir.
In April, the 49ers made Renardo Green a second-round draft pick, hoping the young cornerback could carve out a significant future role on the defense. For now, he may be the answer to a problem that has plagued the 49ers in recent years—identifying a capable nickel cornerback.
"Renardo Green is one of these players that really has an opportunity, coming in fresh, working at nickelback, while also getting reps on the outside," NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco recently stated on his podcast. "The 49ers really struggled at nickelback last season, to the point where the guy that Steve Wilks wanted, Isaiah Oliver, who he considered one of the top nickelbacks in the league, wasn't even one of the top nickelbacks on the team last year."
Acknowledging the mistake, San Francisco released Oliver in February, ahead of free agency. The defensive back signed with the New York Jets. The 49ers hope Green is a better fit covering the slot.
"As much as you might try to shore that up, it's not easy," Maiocco continued. "And so, they used their second-round draft pick on Renardo Green while having all these other cornerbacks kind of in the mix. ... Lenoir is back. He could play the nickelback position. They also have Chase Lucas, who could play the nickelback position.
"They have guys on the outside like Isaac Yiadom, like Rock Ya-Sin, Darrell Luter, Samuel Womack. So, there's a lot of moving parts there, but the easiest answer for the 49ers, and I'm sure the one that they would really like to see, is Renardo Green steps in from day one and owns that nickelback position."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers and Brandon Aiyuk: The drama has become repetitive
When he became the starter during his rookie year, quarterback Brock Purdy was consistently referred to by his draft-day moniker, "Mr. Irrelevant." As the Niners won and continued to win while he was the starter, reporters used the same phrase over and over again—that Purdy... -
Former 49ers star says 'rest in peace' to Brandon Aiyuk's NFL career
Brandon Aiyuk has targeted just about everyone on social media this offseason—the San Francisco 49ers, his former agent, the NFL Players Association, and even his friend, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Now, one former 49ers standout believes Aiyuk may have... -
49ers QB Brock Purdy lands surprising spot in 2026 fantasy football rankings
Where does San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy rank among the NFL's top fantasy football quarterbacks entering the 2026 season? NFL Media's Dan Parr released his fantasy football quarterback rankings for NFL.com, organizing the league's top signal-callers into draft... -
49ers' Brock Purdy left out of ESPN's top-10 quarterback rankings
The debate over where San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy ranks among the NFL's elite continues. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler continued his annual NFL position rankings this week, unveiling his list of the league's top quarterbacks. The rankings are based on feedback from NFL...