Numerous reporters and analysts predicted last offseason that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would put pen to paper on a massive contract extension once he became eligible to do so during the upcoming offseason.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell shared on Thursday he has no reason to believe that 49ers general manager John Lynch has changed his mind about locking Purdy down even though the club is 6-7 heading into the “Thursday Night Football” game versus the 7-6 Los Angeles Rams.
“Yes, the 49ers could take the bold stance of trusting they’ll find the next Purdy on day three of the draft, deal the quarterback for significant draft capital and use the picks and the cost savings to spend heavily throughout the roster,” Barnwell explained. “Nothing about his play or the organization’s public comments suggest that’s likely to happen. …I suggested over the summer a Purdy deal would come in at five years and $325M, or $65M per year. That’s still the number he and his agents are likely targeting.”
The state of a 49ers team dealing with an injury crisis that also may be on the cusp of a roster restructuring had some wondering if head coach Kyle Shanahan would welcome a trade to a different organization. Shanahan likely isn’t going anywhere, but it’s worth noting that Purdy has somewhat come down to earth after he guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie sensation and after he led the team to Super Bowl LVIII as a MVP finalist.
According to Pro Football Reference, Purdy began Thursday ranked sixth in the NFL with a 68.5 adjusted QBR, 12th with a 98.7 passer rating and ninth with a 49.5% passing success rate for the season. Across 12 games, he tossed 15 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 49ers as three-point favorites against the Rams. While Lynch could think twice about paying Purdy if his team falls apart beginning with Thursday’s matchup at Levi’s Stadium, the final pick of the 2022 draft could become even more expensive if he leads a beat-up squad on a magical playoff run.
Then again, Lynch could risk keeping Purdy on the final year of his rookie deal until further notice. It’s unknown if Purdy would stay away from the team through the start of training camp in an attempt to secure financial guarantees beyond the 2025 season.
