The San Francisco 49ers continued their purge of veteran players Tuesday by cutting three-time Pro Bowler Antoine Bethea.
“Antoine is a true professional in every sense and I have a great deal of respect for the way he has gone about his business throughout his career,” said General Manager John Lynch in a team statement. “We would like to thank him for the positive impact he has had on this team both as a player and as a leader, on and off the field. We wish Antoine, and his family, great success in the future.”
The 49ers are not messing around. This comes one day after releasing Torrey Smith. Other veterans on the roster should be weary of their futures, too.
San Francisco is in good hands at safety with Eric Reid and Jaquiski Tartt. It’s also rumored the 49ers are interested in Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker with the No. 2 overall pick.
Per the 49ers press release, Bethea originally signed with San Francisco on March 11, 2014 and started all 29 games in which he appeared for the 49ers.
Over the past three seasons, he registered 318 tackles, five interceptions, 15 passes defensed, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In 2016, he finished with a team-high 141 tackles to go along with one interception, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
The 49ers now reportedly have $99 million in cap space, according to the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows.