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Less than a day after the San Francisco 49ers’ season ended in disappointment, attention quickly turned to the future of quarterback Brock Purdy. The 25-year-old, who signed a four-year rookie contract worth an average of $934,252 after being drafted last in 2022, is now eligible for a significant extension.
Purdy Open to a Quick Deal
Speaking to the media for 12 minutes as his teammates cleared their lockers, Purdy expressed his desire to finalize a deal as soon as possible.
“If there’s an opportunity to be able to get that done quick, that’d be great,” Purdy said. “Just so we can get back for phase one, get after it with the receivers and our team and just continue to grow.”
Both Purdy and the 49ers have reasons to seek a quick resolution. For Purdy, a contract extension would provide financial security and affirm the team’s belief in him. For the 49ers, locking him in now provides cost certainty and avoids potential price inflation as other quarterbacks secure new deals.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan underscored Purdy’s importance to the team, saying, “I expect everyone to be ready to go and excited to really get this going and play some football and that starts with Brock. “He is the leader of our team. I’ve loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here.”
Challenges in Negotiating Purdy’s Contract
While both sides want a quick agreement, negotiating such a deal comes with challenges. Purdy has exceeded expectations for a seventh-round draft pick, making him a unique case. His next contract will likely need to balance his production, market trends, and the team’s salary cap.
Recent deals for quarterbacks like Detroit’s Jared Goff and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa could serve as benchmarks. Both signed four-year extensions in 2024 worth around $212 million, with Goff receiving $113.6 million fully guaranteed and Tagovailoa getting $93.17 million guaranteed. Their average annual values rank fifth and sixth in the NFL at $53 million and $53.1 million, respectively.
Given Purdy’s production, he could command a similar deal, potentially with more guaranteed money. Since taking over as a starter in Week 13 of 2022, Purdy ranks fourth in QBR (70.2), third in passing yards (9,452), first in yards per attempt (8.9), and seventh in touchdown passes (64). He also holds NFL records for the most games with passer ratings of 120+ (13) and 130+ (10) in his first three seasons.
Despite some struggles in 2024, including a 1.7 touchdown-to-interception ratio (23rd in the NFL) and a QBR of 54.6 in fourth-quarter comeback attempts, the 49ers remain confident in him. General manager John Lynch stated, “What we know about Brock is that he’s our guy. “We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time.”
Balancing the Roster Around Purdy
One challenge for Purdy is balancing his contract demands with the team’s needs. The 49ers boast an elite supporting cast, including Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams. This group, which collectively has 30 Pro Bowl nods, has significantly contributed to Purdy’s success.
Purdy acknowledged the importance of maintaining a strong roster around him. “I want to win for this organization. “I want to win for this organization and everybody here, and I’m not the kind of guy that wants to have any kind of drama associated with anything. “Obviously, I want to help the team across the board with all the other guys who need to get their deals done but everybody will handle it the right way and how they need to. Like I said, it’s a business, but everybody has their turn and their part with all of it,” he said
The Path Forward
The 49ers are unlikely to face a prolonged holdout from Purdy, as they’ve seen with other stars like Nick Bosa and Aiyuk in recent years. However, if the price exceeds their comfort zone, the team has shown a willingness to negotiate firmly.
When asked if he might skip offseason activities without an extension, Purdy said, “I’m not really sure. This business side of things is all new to me.”
Despite the uncertainty, Purdy expressed confidence in his role as the 49ers’ quarterback. “I know I’m the guy for this organization,” he said. I can do what it takes to help lead us where we want to go and I’m confident in that.”
With both sides eager to finalize a deal, the timeline and details of Purdy’s contract will be one of the biggest storylines of the offseason.
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This report used information from ESPN.
