49ers fans have been waiting for good news all offseason after losing several key free agents this spring. Due to the financial constraints they face, the San Francisco 49ers had to say goodbye to elite contributors like Aaron Banks, Charvarius Ward, and Jaylon Moore. That is why GM John Lynch had to retain fan favorites and offensive stars to save face before the season and get back to winning ways.
With that objective in mind, the 49ers made George Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the NFL once again. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Kittle received a four-year, $76.4 million deal that will keep him in San Francisco for the foreseeable future.
More importantly, this extension signals an incoming new deal for Brock Purdy. As NFL insider Ari Meirov pointed out after the deal, the 49ers are hoping to get a deal done with their star quarterback, starting at $50 million per year.
Brock Purdy Extension is Up Next for the 49ers
Kittle will once again be the most important weapon for Purdy in 2025 and hopefully beyond. The lucrative extension for the All-Pro pass-catcher won't mean much if San Francisco can't retain Purdy long-term.
Fortunately, the Kittle extension presumably helps the Niners in Purdy negotiations. Kittle was slated to have a cap hit over $22 million in 2025. The extension likely lowers the star tight end's impact on the team's 2025 cap, making a blockbuster Purdy extension more financially viable.
All signs point to an incoming Purdy extension as the 25-year-old signal-caller is present during the team's voluntary offseason program.
Moreover, the 49ers were previously burned with long contract stand-offs with Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams. San Francisco likely doesn't want prolonged contract negotiations to come back to bite them, which means that fans should expect a Purdy deal coming sooner rather than later.
Purdy isn't going to command best-at-his-position money like Kittle, but considering the deals guys like Sam Darnold (3 years, $100.5 million) and Geno Smith (2 years, $75 million) signed this offseason, it's safe to say the number will be huge when pen is put to paper.