San Francisco 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers (22) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers veteran nickel corner Carlos Rogers is still a solid player in this league, but he’s on the chopping block for the second straight season due to his salary. Rogers would have been released last year, but he was spared by an ACL tear to solid starter Chris Culliver. He recorded 47 tackles and eight passes defended last year, and that will likely be the last year of his career with the 49ers if he isn’t willing to take a paycut.
Per sources close to CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, the 49ers will ask Rogers to take a paycut or be released this offseason, as they unsurprisingly don’t want to pay him $6.6 million. Only a top-notch slot corner would deserve that kind of play, and Rogers is in the good-but-not-great category.
It will be interesting to see if the 32-year-old decides to stay with the 49ers and chase another Super Bowl ring, or if he believes that he can get a nice paycheck elsewhere. I have a feeling his best option is to stay, but the 49ers might ask for too big of a paycut than he’s willing to take. Maiocco writes that the team will want him to take a “dramatic” paycut, and they could be better off letting him go, saving $5.1 million, and drafting Kyle Fuller in the first round as his younger, cheaper replacement.