Report: 49ers Free Up $2.616M By Reworking LB Navorro Bowman’s Contract

Field Yates of ESPN reports that the 49ers have restructured ILB Navorro Bowman’s contract and freed up $2.616 million in cap space.

According to Yates, Bowman converted $3.27 million of his $4 million base salary into a signing bonus. This leaves his 2014 base salary at $730,000.

San Francisco had to do something to create some additional cap space given that they had only $257,871 available to work with before this moves was made.

Bowman, 25, signed a seven-year, $46.37 million contract that included $25.5 million guaranteed back in 2012. He has base salaries of $4.7 million (2015), $5.85 million (2016), $6.75 million (2017), and $8.7 million (2018) coming his way over the duration of the contract.

Last year, he unfortunately suffered a major knee injury towards the end of the year, which will likely keep him out for part of the 2014 season.

Bowman is clearly in the discussion for the best linebacker in the league, but it will be interesting to see how he looks upon returning to the field.

In 2013, he totaled 145 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles and two recoveries for the 49ers.