Brock Purdy actually had a realistic argument to be the NFL MVP in 2023. He led the league in TD rate, yards per attempt, and passer rating while going 12-4 and making a run to the Super Bowl. However, he took a step back in 2024. He went 6-9 as a starter and saw nearly all of his numbers drop. Even so, he’s up for a massive extension, and it seems the 49ers are making room for it in their books.
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With the Purdy extension looming, the Niners have seen a massive exodus of veteran talent this offseason. To name a few, Deebo Samuel, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, Leonard Floyd, Charvarius Ward, and Javon Hargrave have all departed for greener pastures.
No wonder Colin Cowherd firmly believes the 49ers won’t just pay Purdy—they’ll pay him big. But in his view, the real reason behind the extension isn’t Purdy’s individual talent alone. Instead, it’s the man calling the plays, head coach Kyle Shanahan, who dictates the value of his quarterback.
“This is all about Kyle Shanahan. The franchise is Kyle’s. Kyle and Sean McVay, they’re the franchise. It doesn’t always work that way. In Philadelphia, Howie Roseman is the soul and the centerpiece, he’s the leading voice. In Kansas City or Green Bay, it’s shared among many people. But if Kyle Shanahan views Brock Purdy as a top-10 quarterback, then he is. The deal will get done,” said the analyst on his show, The Herd.
However, will paying the QB be enough? The team has lost several key players—pieces that would have been crucial for another Super Bowl run.
San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York, the scion of the York family that now owns the franchise, recently addressed why they parted ways with the veterans. York and the rest of the front office have set the bar high for themselves. They’ve had a few aggressive offseasons in recent years, but 2024 was the opposite of that. It almost felt like a soft rebuild was taking place, and the team was hoping no one would notice.
As York said, to sign an elite QB in today’s contract market requires “sacrifices” elsewhere. The CEO also revealed that the QB and the team are “not too far apart” on the particulars of his contract extension. Mr. Irrelevant is going to get paid.
“We knew that we had to make sacrifices around the roster to make sure that you can pay a quarterback. It’s just math. I think (contract talks have) been good. It’s not conversations that I’m having… He’s got to make a decision with what he wants to do. I don’t think we’re that far apart. I think we can sit down and get something done. Whenever he’s ready, we’re ready,” York said.
49ers general manager John Lynch, who is the one that’s actually doing the negotiating with Purdy’s camp, is just as bullish on the prospects of a mutually beneficial deal as Cowherd and York seem to be.
“I think we’re going to get the deal done. That’s what I believe. … The cash spending is down. The year’s not over. If and when we get our quarterback done, we’ll probably [again] be a top-two or -three cash spending team.”
The 49ers finished last in the NFC West for the first time since Kyle Shanahan’s first year as head coach back in 2017. They have lost a ton of talent—especially on defense, which is worrying—and have handcuffed themselves with this incoming Purdy deal, so he better be worth it. The NFC West should be one of the most intriguing races in the league in 2025.
