The San Francisco 49ers have had a busy offseason. Familiar names such as Deebo Samuel have already left the bay and others such as Brandon Aiyuk have also had their security questioned. But the main reason for the mass exodus has been because there’s a bigger shoe that’s ready to drop when Brock Purdy signs his next contract.
Purdy’s extension has hovered over the 49ers’ offseason as he is expected to get paid in excess of $50 million before the start of next season. While he has led San Francisco to an NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl in his first two years as a starter, his 6-11 performance last season has made things complicated and it’s resulted in an embarrassing report that has crushed his leverage as he looks to get paid.
49ers Reportedly Haven’t Fielded Trade Calls on Brock Purdy
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini kicked off the latest speculation when she discussed 49ers owner Jed York’s comments at the NFL Owner’s Meetings earlier this week. While York declared that he was a top 10 quarterback in the league when paired with Kyle Shanahan, Russini expressed doubts the league felt the same way and even noted that no team has called the 49ers as they continue to negotiate on a new deal.
“Look at it this way. If he is a top 10 quarterback…with Kyle detached from it, how come no teams have called to trade for him,” Russini said during The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast. “There have not been any teams that have called the San Francisco 49ers to trade for Brock Purdy. So that kind of tells you how the rest of the league views him without Kyle Shanahan.”
There’s a lot to digest from Russini’s comments. Shanahan is considered an offensive genius in league circles and has already propped up Nick Mullens to a serviceable stretch as a backup in 2018 and Jimmy Garoppolo to a Super Bowl appearance in 2019.
Shanahan also brought Mac Jones to San Francisco this offseason after rumors swirled that he was interested in taking him with the third overall pick in the 2021 draft. The 49ers went with Trey Lance instead and Shanahan pivoted to make Purdy his franchise quarterback after selecting him with the final pick in the 2022 draft.
NFL decision makers know this information and it’s caused them to throw cold water on Purdy’s value. With Shanahan in his ear and Samuel, Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle to throw the ball to, Purdy is viewed as a product of his environment and may not be worth making investments with draft capital and a market value contract.
This is why negotiations may have taken longer than anticipated. Purdy went 19-4 in his first two years as a starter and one quick read of the rule book away from defeating Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. He’s also third among quarterbacks with a 104.9 passer rating since the start of the 2022 season (min. 10 starts) and has mastered Shanahan’s offense.
Still, NFL teams will do anything in order to not pay a player. Russini states that the 49ers “are set on a range” in where they would like to pay Purdy. If that number is too high in Purdy’s camp, San Francisco would benefit from playing off the stigma of playing in Shanahan’s offense and saying nobody has called.
Then again, teams call on everyone in Purdy’s situation. Remember when the 49ers called the Minnesota Vikings about Justin Jefferson before he signed a massive extension? Even if they hung up the phone laughing, the 49ers tried and it’s something that Purdy could use to his advantage.
In the end, these are just the games that are played when it comes to a negotiation. But this rumor may have made things a little more difficult before Purdy signs on the dotted line.