The San Francisco 49ers are preparing to make a massive long-term investment into their starting quarterback Brock Purdy. Meanwhile, he has consistently displayed phenomenal ability despite being criminally underpaid the first three years of his NFL career. Team owner Jed York thinks Purdy is one of the ten best quarterbacks in the league. He accepted that the franchise is more than ready to bless him with one of the biggest contracts in NFL history.
Safe to say Purdy’s surprise performance has turned heads! His numbers dropped over the 2024 season, mostly due to injuries decimating the ranks of several of his key players. The 49ers are working through some growing pains, but they’re still all in on his upside. They are willing to spend big enough now to ensure that long-term commitment is made.
The 49ers have even taken steps — aside from this trade — that signal their commitment to Purdy. They’ve accepted carrying major accelerated dead money onto their salary cap. That number will grow to more than $86 million by 2025, all to make room for a new contract for their quarterback of the future. York and especially new general manager John Lynch have sounded confident about getting a deal done soon and are already in talks, setting the stage.
“When you sit down with your guys and figure out where do you want to go, what do you want to build, when you make the decision that you want to pay a quarterback that has obviously been underpaid for his first three seasons in the NFL, you have to make sacrifices somewhere,” said York. “It’s a decision that we made collectively, and we’re hoping that we make somebody the highest-paid player in the history of our franchise.”
The controversial extension to go all-in on Purdy has set a precedent for how the 49ers have chosen to spend their big offseason bucks. Since then, the team has pursued a very cautious, yet deliberate approach. They’re now using their financial muscle to focus on landing Purdy rather than pursue other high-profile free agents. This tactical move reiterates the team’s focus on surrounding their young franchise quarterback with the right pieces.
York emphasized Purdy’s potential when he stated, > “I think he is. I think he’s great. Especially when you combine him with [coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and you combine him with what we have, and he’s a heck of a quarterback. And we want him to be here for a long, long time.”
While the 49ers face pressure from potential investors interested in acquiring a stake in the team, York has not considered selling any part of the franchise. His focus remains squarely on solidifying Purdy’s contract, which represents a critical investment for the team’s future.
Lynch is cautiously optimistic that an agreement can be made. He stated, “I don’t negotiate contracts, but any conversations that I’ve had with Brock have been great. I feel good. When he’s ready, we’ll sit down and finish it. It shouldn’t be that hard to do.”
The coming deal for Purdy will not only set the course for his career but could change San Francisco’s fiscal fortunes. The 49ers understand that throwing those kinds of resources to that position will likely require a trade-off on the roster. As any good businessperson will tell you, the competitive returns from investing in a quarterback of Purdy’s caliber are worth the up-front costs.
York further elaborated on the decision-making process surrounding Purdy’s contract negotiations, indicating that few options presented equal potential impact compared to investing in their quarterback. “I don’t know that, as we looked at the board, that there was somebody that we felt made that type of an impact more so than making the decision to try to go pay Brock,” he noted.
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