"The season is lost, but the 49ers are still building around coach and QB." Those are the words of The Athletic's Dianna Russini in her latest NFL column, in which she writes that despite the San Francisco 49ers horrid season, the team is sticking to its plan of committing to Brock Purdy as their long-term quarterback. Russini wrote, "I've been told the 49ers are still planning to negotiate a multi-year contract extension with Purdy this offseason, backing up the message they've consistently sent: 'Purdy is our quarterback.'
"Now, the big question is: How much will they pay him? Extending Purdy is definitely doable, but it will require some savvy salary cap moves and maybe a few roster adjustments in 2025," Russini wrote.
Some believe Purdy will be paid as much as $50-60 million per season. Restructuring some contracts or releasing players outright could clear up salary cap space for a team that already has the highest-paid (or nearly highest-paid) players at multiple positions. This means potentially moving on from some popular players that fans will not like seeing the team part ways with.
Purdy hasn't had the season he had in 2023, but he's been without some of his most important weapons for much of the season, namely Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, and Brandon Aiyuk. And then there's the Deebo Samuel saga, in which one of the league's best offensive weapons has underperformed all season. On Thursday night, Samuel dropped a pass that likely would have been a touchdown. And if he had made that catch, perhaps the 49ers would have won the game instead of losing to one of their division foes.
Some fans are calling for players like Samuel to be traded or released in the offseason. But his salary cap hit may be too large if the 49ers move on from him before June 1. Samuel's cap hit for 2025 is just under $16 million. The cap hit, if he is cut or traded before June 1, would be a little over $31 million.
After June 1, Samuel's salary cap hit wouldn't be as extreme, just under $11 million. But San Francisco wouldn't benefit from getting a 2025 draft pick who can help the team next season. However, they would have the option of trading Samuel for another player who could still help the team in 2025. But would any team want Samuel? He hasn't had a good season, and many will contend he's a product of Kyle Shanahan's offense, especially since route-running isn't his best strength.
George Kittle and Fred Warner are two players who could be candidates for a restructure, should the 49ers go that route. Kyle Juszczyk and Javon Hargrave are two players who could potentially be released in the offseason. Juszczyk is scheduled to count almost $6.5 million against the cap. Hargrave's contract was recently restructured, and some believe it is a sign that the team could be moving on from him.
And what about Shanahan? Russini insists, "Despite this being the Niners' worst season since 2020, Shanahan, in his eighth season with San Francisco, isn't going anywhere. The mutual commitment between coach and franchise remains. Ignore all the rumors. The organization fully believes in his ability to lead the team forward, even after a rough year."
Russini has excellent sources and is right much more often than she is wrong. If she's hearing that San Francisco is still committed to Purdy and Shanahan, 49ers fans can believe it is likely true. Both should be back in 2025 ready to move beyond a stormy 2024. The question is, what will the rest of the team look like?