49ers to release Javon Hargrave but could re-sign him

The 49ers restructured defensive tackle Javon Hargrave’s contract last month in a way that opened the door to getting some cap relief by making him a cut after the June 1 offseason, and General Manager John Lynch confirmed that’s the plan.

Hargrave signed a four-year deal with the team ahead of the 2023 season and made 19 starts in his first year with the club. However, he tore his triceps early this season, and reworking the contract will allow them to take a $7.375 million cap hit while clearing $2.85 million in cap space.

Lynch said the move will allow Hargrave to assess his market and could open the door to a return.

“Would we were interested in having him? Of course,” Lynch said, via Matt Maiocco of NBCSpotsBayArea.com. “Is it something we have agreed on and is it something that fits into our plans? We’ll see.”

Hargrave had 51 tackles and three sacks for the Niners in the regular season. He had 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in their run to Super Bowl LVIII.