Craig Carton gets torched for suggesting 49ers trade Brock Purdy and sign Aaron Rodgers – “Beyond stupid”

Veteran NFL analyst Craig Carton wants the 49ers to solve all of their monetary issues by trading Brock Purdy to the Giants.

Craig Carton gets torched for suggesting 49ers trade Brock Purdy and sign Aaron Rodgers – “Beyond stupid”

Craig Carton and Brock Purdy (Image via IMAGO)

Craig Carton proposed a solution to solve the San Francisco 49ers’ problems regarding Brock Purdy’s contract. The FOX analyst wants the NFC franchise to trade Purdy and sign Aaron Rodgers.

According to the recent reports from ESPN’s Mike Garafolo, Purdy is set to command a contract extension close to Dak Prescott’s $60 million/year deal with the Cowboys.

YouTube video

The average per year is usually anywhere from about 21-ish to 25 percent of the salary cap. [If] It’s on the low end of that, [Purdy’s] going to clear guys like Trevor Lawrence. Now, he’s not going to get to Dak Prescott’s number of 60, but he’ll be in the high 50s… He wants his respect and he wants money.

Mike Garafolo said per NBC Sports Bay Area

After hearing the amount, Carton on FS1’s Breakfast Ball suggested that the 49ers should avoid giving Purdy such a mammoth contract. Carton pointed out the lack of quality around the 2022 last overall pick following the free agency fire sale.

Deebo Samuel, Elijah Mitchell, Dre Greenlaw, Jaylon Moore, and several others are no longer on the roster with whom the Niners reached the Super Bowl in 2023. There’s also chit-chat about a possible trade featuring WR Brandon Aiyuk, a year after he penned a $30 million/year deal.

Star running back Christian McCaffrey missed a chunk of the 2024 season due to constant knee issues. There’s no guarantee he will be available for the entire 2025 campaign. Purdy is a capable quarterback, but Carton speculates whether the Pro Bowler can cope without the elite help around him.

Can you count on McCaffrey to be healthy? I don’t know anymore… And how good a coach is Kyle Shanahan.

Craig Carton said

So, to save the 49ers from this conundrum, Carton provided a solution.

Here’s a trade nobody says no to—the Giants trade 3 first-round picks [includes a pick swap this year] with the 49ers for Brock Purdy. The Niners then sign Aaron Rodgers to be their starting QB for the 2025 season—[yo], [yo]ur welcome no need to pat me on the back just happy to help.

Craig Carton tweeted

Craig Carton angers 49ers fans with his Brock Purdy trade proposal

Analysts and former football players doubted Purdy’s abilities even though he played consecutive NFC title games and a Super Bowl in his first two seasons with the 49ers. Their suspicion partly came true last year when he struggled immensely without McCaffrey, Aiyuk, and Trent Williams on the roster to back him up due to injuries.

Craig Carton gets torched for suggesting 49ers trade Brock Purdy and sign Aaron Rodgers Beyond Stupid
Brock Purdy (Image via IMAGO)

Despite the lack of faith in the Iowa State graduate, the 49ers fans love Purdy, and he wanted to repay them by wrapping up his contract extension without much fuss. However, the $60 million salary demand is a headache for general manager John Lynch, who previously said Purdy is their quarterback.

They don’t want to repeat paying too much to one player like in the cases of George Kittle and Nick Bosa. As a result, they boasted one of the lowest cap spaces, limiting their spending power.

If Lynch and Shanahan agree to match the $60 million demand, then there will be even fewer funds available. So, the easiest way to get out of the bind is to trade him to a team that desperately needs a quarterback.

As Carton suggested, the New York Giants are among those teams. The Niners fans, on the other hand, viewed the proposal negatively because it involved Aaron Rodgers as their next quarterback. Second, the Giants may be searching for a QB, but they would not be oblivious enough to trade them three first-round picks for Purdy despite his CV.

Can the 49ers sign Aaron Rodgers?

Carton’s suggestion may be farfetched, but it’s still an option Lynch can explore. He may not get three first-round picks unless they include someone like Aiyuk in the deal. This will clear up copious amounts of money, along with gaining additional draft picks, on top of boasting eleven in 2025.

As for Rodgers, it will not take much to lure him back to California, his home. NBC Sports Boston writer Logan Reardon once revealed that the 49ers passed on Rodgers to draft Alex Smith back in the day.

The 49ers famously passed on Rodgers for Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick back in 2005. Twenty years later, could San Francisco bring the Bay Area kid home? Brock Purdy is extension-eligible with one year left on his rookie deal. Maybe the 49ers think this team needs a veteran QB to get over the hump?

Logan Reardon wrote

If the 49ers do intend to move in that direction, then they should act quickly. Rodgers is heavily linked with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Super Bowl winner visited the Steelers facility on Friday and spent hours talking with head coach Mike Tomlin.

Related: Najee Harris takes a jibe at former Steelers teammate Justin Fields after signing with the Chargers: “Didn’t know anything”