SANTA CLARA, CA – In April 2021, the San Francisco 49ers traded up to select quarterback Trey Lance No. 3 overall in the NFL Draft. Lance was considered their future franchise signal character for the next few years.
The 49ers’ goal was to have a rookie contract quarterback while using resources to build a dominant roster around QBs. The hope was that Peace was equivalent to the Super Bowl Championship.
After all, the Niners benefited from the rookie quarterback contract window. However, it wasn’t Brock Purdy-Lance who became the team’s starter a year later in 2022, but he played at a relatively poor wage related to his final pick (Mr. Inlerevant) in the 2022 draft. Purdy led the 49ers to two NFC Championship games, including one victory, but the team failed to win their sixth Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVIII.
“We made him the final pick in the draft and that helped us well,” general manager John Lynch said.
Now, Purdy’s rookie contract (who averaged $853,333 per season) has ended and has signed a five-year, $265 million contract with a $181 million guarantee that has been going on through the 2030 season. This makes Purdy the highest-paid player in franchise history. That is, San Francisco has reached expiration dates with a cheap quarter and rapid public-source formula.
Purdy’s early contractual cap numbers are easy to manage, but Niners, for better or worse – is now in Purdy’s hands. It’s up to him to offer at a level worthy of being one of the best bargains in the sport, and at a level worthy of being the 7th highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
Despite the avalanches on the offseason roster have changed after the 6-11 season, there’s no longer time for Purdy to start offering it more than in 2025. Based on opponents’ results from at least 2024, the 49ers will enter next season with the easiest schedule in the league.
If things go along with plans, Purdy should be happy to run through Christian McCaffrey (foot, knee) and return Trent Williams (foot) and receiver Brandon Iyuk (knee) to the left from injuries that were victims of most of last season. George Kittle is also one of the league’s best tight ends and has just signed a four-year contract extension, and should ensure he will remain one of Purdy’s favorite targets for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps another Super Bowl appearance — scheduled to be played at Levi’s stadium at the Ninas — is asking for too much given the team’s many offseason departures, but if he can get closer to his 2023 form, it offers the peace of mind that he is a franchise quarterback.
He must prove he is him as Jedyoke, the owner of the 49ers, called him at a league meeting in March. That assertion can be backed up by numbers, if not an eye test.
Since taking over as the Niners starter in Week 13 of 2022, Purdy has finished fourth in QBR (70.2), third in passing yards (9,452), one yard per attempt (8.9) and seventh in touchdown passes (64).
“I think he’s great,” York said. “He’s one of the quarterbacks, especially when you pair him with Kyle and pair him with what we have. And we hope he’s here for a long time.”
Even before Purdy signed his new deal, the impact of the deal was felt in San Francisco. The Niners experienced a key roster purge in the offseason, losing key free agents such as cornerbacks Charvarius Ward, Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, Safety Talanoa Hufanga and Guard Aaron Banks. They also released starting defensive tackles for Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins, finished Leonard Floyd and drove off wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jordan Mason.
The outcome of that escape was the most easily $81 million dead salary hat money in the NFL in 2025, relying heavily on 11 drafted rookies to fill the hole after the 49ers spent very little on free agency.
Neither York, Lynch nor manager Kyle Shanahan have escaped the reality that much of their offseason focus is cleaning up the decks on the roster to make room for Purdy’s contract. Teammates such as Kittle, linebackers Fred Warner, Williams and McCaffrey have repeatedly voted for Purdy’s final payday.
The 49ers have a big bet that not only will Purdy be able to return to or near the production offered in 2022 and 2023, but they will continue to grow as players even as the supporting cast decreases.
Purdy’s numbers fell in 2024 when he was without McCaffrey, Eiyuk and Williams, and other key starters were sometimes missing.
During that ordeal season, Purdy continued to struggle in bad weather, with his 1.7 touchdown to interception ratio ranked 23rd in the NFL, dropping from 2.8 in 2023. He had 54.6 QBR (20th in the NFL) when trailing in the fourth quarter, threw three touchdowns and five intercepts in that situation.
Despite these issues, Purdy finished 67.9 QBR, ranked seventh in the NFL, and grew as a scrambler with 323 yards and five touchdowns.
The production was more than enough to believe that Ninas was pure. All stories of team cleansing beliefs over the past three years will be the ultimate litmus test during extension negotiations.
“You need to be sure about that,” Shanahan said. “If you pay a quarterback and it’s not the person you’re sure of, that won’t be much fun after that.”
The inherent meaning of Purdy’s New Deal is that he is responsible for him to pose the production of those around him and to be at the forefront of a new era of 49ers football.
