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The San Francisco 49ers signed running back Kendall Hunter to a 1-year contract extension earlier this week, and some details have emerged. ESPN's Field Yates tweeted that Hunter will receive a $660,000 base salary, with $100,000 of that salary already guaranteed. The deal includes $200,000 in total guarantees, which would cover the $100,000 previously mentioned, and then either a signing bonus, or some kind of roster bonus that has already been guaranteed. Yates is reporting the deal could reach a maximum value of $1.75 million.
The $660,000 is the 2015 league minimum salary for a player with three credited seasons. Hunter entered the league in 2011, but he does not have a fourth credited season because he spent last year on injured reserve. A player gets a credited season when he is or should have been on the 53-man roster for three or more games. Unlike accrued seasons, time on injured reserve does not count toward the three games. So that means, Hunter accrued four seasons, but only has three "credited" seasons.
I expected a league minimum deal, but did not really think about any guarantees. San Francisco was likely going to be one of the better situation for Hunter given the flux at the running back spot with Frank Gore hitting free agency. Hunter is guaranteed $200,000 but nothing else as far as a roster spot is concerned (as far as I can tell). However, if Hunter returns healthy, and Gore departs in free agency this coming offseason, Hunter could be in line for some decent work behind Carlos Hyde.