The San Francisco 49ers are expected to cut ties with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Hargrave missed most of the 2024 season with a triceps injury, but teams were notified that he would be ready to go for the offseason program.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle could be a target for the team. He signed a four-year, $84 million deal in the 2023 offseason, but Hargrave’s injuries have cut up to him and the 49ers badly need cap space.
Hargrave has played for the Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and 49ers, where he has posted impressive numbers as an interior defensive lineman throughout his career. The Steelers drafted him in the 2016 NFL Draft out of South Carolina State and played him as a nose tackle.
When he left Pittsburgh, he became a true defensive tackle, working as a 3-technique more than anything else. In three games this season, he had one sack and three tackles for the 49ers.
Hargrave has racked up 46.5 career sacks and two Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Eagles. Now that he is on the market, he will become one of the top defensive linemen available for teams to sign.
The 49ers did not rule out a return for Hargrave, but the contract would have to be right. Pittsburgh could be in the market for a starting defensive lineman.
