San Francisco 49ers sign Austen Pleasants

At $1.075M AAV on a one-year deal, Pleasants' contract earns a fair-value Contract Value Index (CVI) grade of C+, and given the nature of the transaction — an accepted tender rather than an open-market free agent signing — the 49ers are essentially locking in a known commodity at the league minimum-adjacent rate with virtually no financial risk. The CVI has trended upward over the last 30 days, moving from a D to a C+, which suggests this deal is aging better as the offseason roster picture clarifies. Pleasants slots in as a depth piece along the offensive line, a roster-filler type whose value lies in positional flexibility and roster continuity rather than any projection as a starter. At $1.075M for a single season, there is no real cap damage here — this is the kind of low-commitment, low-ceiling deal that responsible front offices use to fill out the bottom of a 53-man roster without sacrificing flexibility heading into the 2026 regular season. The one-year structure is appropriate for a player at this tier; it gives the 49ers a clean exit if someone from within the organization develops or becomes available, and it gives Pleasants a chance to earn a more meaningful deal down the road. With no guaranteed money listed, the team carries essentially zero dead-cap exposure, which is exactly the kind of structuring you want when signing a non-core player 142 days out from the season opener. This is a disciplined, unflashy roster move — nothing more, nothing less.