All eyes are on April 22 as a crucial date in the ongoing negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy. That's when the team begins its offseason program—just two days before the 2025 NFL Draft. The question on many minds: will Purdy show up without a finalized contract?
Last week, general manager John Lynch was asked if it was too optimistic to expect a deal before the April 22 report date.
"I don't think it's too optimistic (to get it done by then)," Lynch said. "I think I understand why Brock wants that. We'd like that very much, so we've just got to find that right place for both sides, and I would love nothing more than for that to be the case."
However, considering there is no on-field work during the first two weeks of the offseason program, it's unlikely that Purdy will be a no-show, especially after the team's disappointing 6-11 season.
Phase two of the offseason program, which spans the next three weeks, includes some limited, contactless on-field work. Even if Purdy misses that, it wouldn't be a significant setback.
Former agent Joel Corry, now with CBS Sports, pointed out another, more crucial potential deadline for a deal.
"A more realistic ambitious timetable for signing Purdy might be by May 27 when San Francisco begins phase three of offseason workouts," Corry wrote. "The 10 days of organized team activities can start being held where 11-on-11 drills are permitted. The 49ers shouldn't be surprised if Purdy is absent from offseason workouts as long as he doesn't have a new deal."
Of course, everything through that point is voluntary. After that, the 49ers' mandatory minicamp takes place on June 10 and 11, the team's last gathering before breaking until training camp. While other players have skipped voluntary workouts amid lengthy contract disputes in recent years, none of them were the team's starting quarterback.
Corry emphasized that Purdy is the best quarterback Kyle Shanahan has had during his tenure as 49ers head coach. Since becoming the team's starter in late 2022, Purdy has posted a 106.2 passer rating, 9.0 yards per attempt, and 13.3 yards per completion—tops in the NFL during that span.
In 2023, he set a franchise single-season record with 4,280 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and an NFL-leading 113.0 passer rating.
However, Purdy's production dip in 2024 amid an injury-plagued campaign for the 49ers that resulted in just six wins has seemingly hurt his case at the negotiating table. He posted a career-low 65.9 completion percentage and a 96.1 passer rating, alongside a career-high 12 interceptions.
Still, Corry believes Purdy compares favorably to some of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, many of whom have achieved far less than the 49ers' signal caller.
"Given this quarterback salary landscape, the 49ers are operating in bad faith if the offer on the table to Purdy isn't at a minimum $50 million per year," Corry wrote. "At the very least, the 49ers should be willing to put Purdy at the same place in the quarterback salary hierarchy Colin Kaepernick was when he signed his six-year extension in June 2014. At $19 million per year, Kaepernick became the NFL's sixth-highest-paid upon signing. Doing the same for Purdy would be somewhere between [Tua] Tagovailoa's $53.1 million per year and the logjam at $55 million per year."
Corry notes that the 49ers probably view $55 million as the ceiling for Purdy's potential contract. Although Purdy is only under contract through 2025, San Francisco can use the franchise tag for two more years after that. With the salary cap expected to rise significantly, locking in a deal now, rather than waiting, could be a financially sound move for the team.