It's been a disappointing season for the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers, who appear slated to miss the postseason altogether in 2024. A massive offseason awaits. No decision will require more attention than the one surrounding quarterback Brock Purdy and his contract status.
A seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy will become eligible to sign an extension this coming offseason with the 2025 campaign slated to be a contract year. He will not play that agreement out without a sizable multi-year commitment from the 49ers.
The timing couldn’t be better for Purdy. He’ll be negotiating an extension in the best period ever to play the quarterback position. Unproven signal-callers like Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love signed extensions worth $55 million per year last offseason. Dak Prescott became the first-ever QB to sign a deal worth $60-plus million per season.
“I could never pay Brock Purdy $55 million”@colincowherd & @JohnMiddlekauff discuss potential contract for 49ers QB pic.twitter.com/9nvy2lETLc
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) December 17, 2024
Purdy will enter negotiations with a clear precedent, and arguably, a better resume than either Lawrence or Love possessed when they inked their extensions—he’s at least been to a Super Bowl. Account for yearly inflation, an annual occurrence in the NFL when it comes to contract extensions, and Purdy's representation will possess a strong case for him to be the next $60 million per year quarterback.
John Lynch (assuming he's still San Francisco's general manager) and Kyle Shanahan will collaborate to keep Purdy slightly under that number. Realistically, he has to surpass the $55 million APY figure captured by Love and Lawrence last offseason. That's the starting point.
If Purdy is willing to meet the 49ers in the middle, the two negotiators could agree on an extension in the neighborhood of a five-year agreement worth $58 million per season. Purdy would still be signing a contract worth a total value of $290 million, the second-largest in NFL QB history, trailing just Patrick Mahomes and his 10-year contract (which pays him an outdated $45 million per year). San Francisco would reward their ascending signal-caller without surpassing $60 million per year.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy is seeking a contract that is at the top of the quarterback market, per @TomPelissero pic.twitter.com/SLgQjkUWEN
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 15, 2024
There's often much debate regarding which tier of quarterback play Purdy belongs in and whether or not he's simply a Shanahan merchant, but the 49ers should have respect for how difficult it is to find quality quarterback play. They whiffed (Shanahan included) on previous sizable investments made in Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. In reality, they're extremely fortunate that Purdy saved them from those messes, and they should reward him appropriately.
Purdy's extension will eventually have a massive impact on the make-up of San Francisco's roster. They're already slated to be over the cap in 2026, according to OverTheCap's effective cap space calculator, and that's before Purdy's extension hits the books. In reality, aging, expensive players like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Trent Williams aren't going to be around forever. The 49ers must start finding younger, cheaper replacements in preparation for the inevitable.
The 49ers, unfortunately, wasted one of Purdy's rookie contract years in 2024. The former Mr. Irrelevant will expect to sign an extremely relevant extension this coming offseason.