WR Travis Benjamin becomes the first 49er to opt-out

Late Tuesday evening, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Travis Benjamin tweeted that he is opting out of the 2020 season:

Benjamin becomes the first 49er to opt-out. The deadline for players to decide on opting out is this Thursday, August 6, at 1 p.m. PT. General manager John Lynch said that he did not expect any player on the roster to opt-out, so Benjamin’s decision may come as a surprise to the team when Benjamin broke the news to the front office. It could also be the reason why the 49ers hosted a couple of edge rushers Tuesday as well.

From a salary cap standpoint, Benjamin signed a one-year deal this past offseason for $1.5 million, though none of that money was guaranteed, so San Francisco does not recoup the $1.5 million in salary cap.

From a roster standpoint, Benjamin didn’t make our 53-man roster projection heading into training camp. With Benjamin opting out, this opens the door for the young talent to step up and take advantage of an opportunity.

If this is in the best interest of Benjamin and his family, then I’m all for it.