A busy spring for the San Francisco 49ers has already begun to spill over into the winter.
Coming off the disappointment of a last-place, 6-11 season, the 49ers have plenty of important roster questions to answer. Having fired two of their three coordinators, San Francisco is entering desperation mode to get the team back on track.
A huge reason for the sense of urgency is quarterback Brock Purdy’s looming contract extension. Once the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy has become an unexpected star, and having him on a $1 million annual salary has done wonders for the 49ers’ budget.
Unfortunately, the financial cheat code won’t continue much longer. Though Purdy won’t be a free agent until after the 2025 season, he’s now eligible for an extension, and if the 49ers choose not to offer him one, it seems fairly unlikely he’ll stick around long-term.
On Thursday, San Francisco 49ers on Sports Illustrated’s Tom Jensen predicted that the 49ers would sign Purdy to a monster five-year extension, not quite breaking Dak Prescott’s record $60 million per year mark, but coming fairly close.
“The Niners sign Purdy to a five-year extension of around $285 million with an out after the third season,” Jensen wrote. “The Yorks want him as the face of the franchise. Kyle Shanahan believes in Purdy and also doesn’t want to start over at quarterback.”
Purdy has a 23-13 record as the 49ers’ starter, with 64 career touchdown passes to 27 interceptions. His best season, of course, was the 2023 campaign, when he led San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance and led the NFL in yards per passing attempt and Total QBR.
A $57 million per year average annual salary ought to be enough for anyone to live comfortably, even in Silicon Valley. But the strain paying Purdy that much would put on the 49ers’ budget can’t be fully grasped until the front office has to start deciding who they can no longer afford to keep.
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