49ers LB identified as team's most underpaid player in 2026
The San Francisco 49ers have plenty of players making significant money in 2026, but one NFL writer believes one defender is a steal on his contract.
Heading into the 2026 season, the San Francisco 49ers have three players with salary cap hits over $20 million and eight players with cap hits over $10 million. While the 49ers will need most of those players to perform at their highest level to succeed in 2026, those on some more affordable deals could be heavily relied on, as they were last year. Linebacker Dee Winters is a prime example of that, as Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon identified him as the team's most underpaid player on the roster.
"Drafted one round later than [Puka] Nacua, Winters has not become a star but made tremendous strides during a 101-tackle 2025 campaign," Gagnon wrote. "He's not a lock to have a long starting career, but he's certainly a factor while working through a four-year, $4. 0 million rookie deal.
" The 25-year-old former sixth-round pick has seen his role increase every season, leading to last year when he played 92% of the team's defensive snaps and finished with a career-high 101 tackles, five passes defensed and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. With Fred Warner and others going down in 2025, Winters was San Francisco's top linebacker for the year, and while he could see his opportunities drop a bit in 2026, he could still be an impact player, especially if someone goes down with an injury. More 49ers: Mac Jones trade may not happen, and that's probably best for 49ers This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers LB identified as team's most underpaid player in 2026