The San Francisco 49ers secured their quarterback of the future this offseason, signing Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million contract extension—the largest deal in franchise history. The move made Purdy one of the NFL's highest-paid players and placed significant expectations on the young signal-caller as he enters his fourth NFL season.
Purdy delivered an impressive 2023 campaign, throwing for a single-season franchise record 4,280 yards with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
However, his production dipped in 2024, as the 49ers endured an injury-plagued season that left Purdy with fewer playmakers. His 3,864 passing yards weren't enough to lift the team through the adversity, and San Francisco finished with a disappointing 6-11 record.
To accommodate Purdy's contract, the 49ers overhauled their roster this offseason, parting ways with several key veterans, replacing them with rookies. As a result, the team will need even more from Purdy if it hopes to rebound in 2025.
One writer, however, doubts that outcome and believes the 49ers might eventually regret committing to Purdy with such a lucrative contract.
"The 49ers chose to give Brock Purdy a massive extension this offseason," Destin Adams wrote for A to Z Sports. "If he can be what he was in 2023, they won't have any regrets. Sadly, I don't see that happening, though. I think the version we saw last year is more likely attainable, but there's a world where he struggled to reach those numbers."
Adams subscribes to the narrative that Purdy is more a product of head coach Kyle Shanahan's system and the talent around him, rather than a quarterback who can elevate his teammates.
"The 49ers roster has lost a lot of talent over the last two off-seasons, and Purdy isn't the type of QB who's going to elevate players around him," Adams continued. "I think the 49ers are going to experience major buyer's remorse after the 2025 season concludes, maybe not Daniel Jones level, but regret nonetheless."
However, Adams' colleague Kyle Crabbs disagrees and chose to pass on this prediction when deciding whether to buy or sell it.
"Purdy doesn't have the biggest frame. He doesn't have the biggest arm," Crabbs explained. "And he doesn't run faster than everyone else. But there's something to be said for time on task in the same offensive system and Purdy's own personal development foiled against the 49ers' offensive infrastructure can make for some complicated assessments."
Crabbs believes the return of some of Purdy's talented co-stars could help him have another productive season, and can't envision a significant drop-off for the team in 2025.
"But getting Christian McCaffrey back, potentially seeing the return of a fully-healthy Brandon Aiyuk and Purdy's own growth and experience should lend itself well to a stable, effective, and efficient season in San Francisco," Crabbs concluded.
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