Brock Purdy’s contract extension hangs in the balance as 49ers consider future without the quarterback
As Brock Purdy enters the final year of his rookie contract, a journalist makes his case urging the San Francisco 49ers to move on from him.
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Brock Purdy (Image via IMAGO)
The San Francisco 49ers have been active during free agency but the team’s activity has surprised their fanbase. The team has focused on cutting their players. This includes veterans who have played a key role in helping the team reach multiple Super Bowls over the years. Their approach so far during free agency has been to release, trade, or ask players seeking for an extension to be patient.
They have signed 10 players to deals worth up to $42 million. This restructuring, although surprising, was inevitable for the team, which spent the most in 2024 as they offered big deals to Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey. The team has yet to offer their quarterback Brock Purdy an extension.
Purdy will be entering the final year of his rookie contract and considering his performance over the last three years, the league-wide assumption is that he is worthy of being the 49ers’ franchise quarterback. So far, Brock Purdy has only carried the title of franchise quarterback, but his paycheck is equivalent to that of a veteran minimum.
As the 49ers free up cap space to offer Brock Purdy a big deal, one journalist believes the team would be better off cutting him after his rookie contract ends. In an article published on Thursday, USA Today‘s Jarrett Bailey urged San Francisco to part ways with Purdy. The journalist believes the ‘golden age’ has ended for the team and they need to rebuild if they hope to win the Super Bowl.
The 49ers are also perhaps the only team in the NFL with the power and ability to just say, ‘No, we’re not paying you’ and trade Purdy. If I were in the shoes of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, I would say ‘Look, we won with Jimmy Garoppolo. We won with you, we’ll win with someone else, too.
Jarrett Bailey wrote
The journalist gives props to Purdy for his rise from the last pick to saving the day for the 49ers franchise. However, he makes a convincing argument that Purdy has had his moment and it is time for the team to move forward from him rather than offer him a big deal and lock him in for the next few years.
His statement has some truth to it. San Francisco was able to survive losing two quarterbacks in one season before they turned to Purdy and kept their ship from sinking.
Brock Purdy struggled last season without Christian McCaffrey to spearhead the 49ers offense
Purdy led the 49ers to a Super Bowl but failed to close the game. His achievements are impressive, but the NFL has evolved. Kyle Shanahan‘s offensive tactics are not as efficient as they once were deemed to be. Defensive coordinators have figured the 49ers’ offense out and without Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco’s struggles were evident.
Brock Purdy’s numbers are not bad, but they are not the best either. Out of quarterbacks who had at least 200 attempts in 2024, Purdy ranked 25th in terms of catchable pass percentage. His target percentage ranked him at number 32 of 39 qualified quarterbacks.
If San Francisco ends up paying $40+ million a year for Purdy, then the team will be paying to remain stuck in the same loop they are. Kyle Shanahan’s offense can evolve and he has proved that he is capable of turning offenses around.
Purdy isn’t the engine that makes this thing go, Shanahan is. Plus, the 49ers are already starting a quasi-rebuild, they may as well go all in, trade Purdy for draft capital, and draft a new quarterback to restart the process.
Jarrett Bailey said crediting the HC and offensive mastermind for the team’s successes
The injuries plagued the 49ers last season, but there was a silver lining that emerged out of their debacle. The world got to witness how well Purdy could play without McCaffrey and/or his star receivers.
Now the ball is in the court of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. The team has an entire year to determine if they can fare well without Purdy because there are not many viable alternatives available for them to choose from in this year’s draft or in the free agent market.
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