The idea of the San Francisco 49ers moving forward without quarterback Brock Purdy seems unthinkable. Yet, one USA Today writer proposes just that as the team negotiates a long-term contract extension with the young signal-caller.
Purdy has earned a payday. Since being the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, he has been the league's best bargain, guiding the 49ers to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl—all while earning less than $1 million per year in base salary. That production level at such a low cost is rare, and most expect him soon to become one of the NFL's highest-paid players.
However, negotiations between Purdy and the 49ers reportedly remain far apart, which isn't surprising at this stage. San Francisco has shed several key contributors this offseason, seemingly cutting future costs in preparation for a massive financial commitment to Purdy. Other looming extensions—such as those for tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner—have also factored into the team's decisions. The result has been an offseason overhaul that somewhat resembles a rebuild—or at least a reset.
Despite Purdy's success, USA Today's Jarrett Bailey argues he shouldn't be considered an elite quarterback.
"Purdy is not an elite starter, let's get that out of the way," Bailey wrote in a feature for Touchdown Wire. "He's not Josh Allen. He's not Patrick Mahomes. He's not Joe Burrow. He's not Lamar Jackson. While advanced stats like EPA love Purdy, as he ranked seventh in the NFL in EPA per play, they also loved Jimmy Garoppolo, who ranked ninth in EPA per play in 2019. Of all quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts in 2024, Purdy ranked 25th in catchable pass percentage. His on-target percentage was even lower, ranking 32nd out of 39 qualified quarterbacks.
"Now look, it's not all bad, of course. Purdy was also seventh in the league in positive play percentage, third in big-play percentage, and was on the lower end of busted play percentage. But he also had by far his worst season in the same year where Christian McCaffrey was gone for a vast majority of the year. They needed him to step up, and frankly, he didn't. That doesn't make him an awful quarterback but it certainly says he's not a great one -- and the 49ers know that."
As analysts and fans debate Purdy's value, Bailey suggests that the 49ers hold all the leverage in these negotiations. He believes the team could simply refuse to meet Purdy's demands, forcing him to either play out the final year of his deal or be traded.
"The 49ers won games with him, and got to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl with him," Bailey wrote. "That said, you don't pay the 14th-18th-best quarterback in the NFL over $45 million per year and you certainly don't give him $60 million per year."
Bailey adds that head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have already proven they can win with a lesser quarterback, like Jimmy Garoppolo, and can probably do so with or without Purdy.
"Purdy isn't the engine that makes this thing go, Shanahan is," Bailey concluded. "Plus, the 49ers are already starting a quasi-rebuild - they may as well go all in, trade Purdy for draft capital, and draft a new quarterback to restart the process. They've done it successfully before. And as long as Shanahan is the guy under the headset, they can do it again."
Bailey's argument is bold, fueling the ongoing debate about Purdy's value. Where does he rank among NFL quarterbacks, and what is his true worth to the 49ers? These are likely questions being discussed right now within the organization.
San Francisco faces tough decisions ahead, and how the team navigates Purdy's contract negotiations will be crucial in shaping the franchise's future.