ESPN believes the 49ers need to figure out if Brock Purdy is worthy of a market extension that Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow were worth
This season, the San Francisco 49ers were expected to make another Super Bowl run based on preseason predictions and where oddsmakers had the Niners win total.
It’s the NFL. Nothing ever goes as expected. We’re in December, and the Washington Commanders have more wins than the Dallas Cowboys and every team in the NFC South and West. Nobody predicted that in August.
Injuries have once again handcuffed the 49ers. It’s forced Brock Purdy to do more than he ever has, and because of that, questions loom about whether he’s worthy of what the market says you have to pay an upper-echelon quarterback in this league.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the 49ers are asking the same question:
One of (many) questions hanging over the 49ers as this season increasingly appears lost to a ridiculous run of injuries is the Brock Purdy contract situation. Purdy is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason, and the team must figure out his place in the quarterback contract firmament. A few months ago, when the Niners looked like the favorites to win the NFC again, you might have thought Purdy was in line for a top-of-market extension along the lines of Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow. And he still might be. But the Niners have a lot of tough questions to answer about the future of their roster and some of the larger veteran contracts they have on the books. Purdy is signed through 2025, so it’s not essential that they extend him next offseason. But him heading into the final season of his deal without an extension brings a lot of uncertainty about the future for everyone involved with the franchise. Purdy is the quarterback the 49ers pulled out of their hat when Trey Lance didn’t work out. Would they trust themselves to do it again? Or is extending Purdy at a big-money level a foregone conclusion?
If you look at the quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft for the next two classes, it’s a foregone conclusion that the 49ers will pay Purdy.
The 2025 class is full of players you’d take in the second round at the earliest. History suggests second-round quarterbacks fall flat on their faces more often than they turn into franchise cornerstones.
The 2026 class looks even more bleak, as it’s mostly players who look like they are years away from being reliable starters in the NFL. We know what Purdy is and have seen him play in the NFL at a high level. So, there’s no gray area. Plus, he understands what it takes to run Kyle Shanahan’s offense and has the traits necessary to excel in said offense.
The question comes back to price. Is Purdy worth the same as Dak Prescott, Joe Burrow, and other quarterbacks who either just got paid or are in line for extensions? The market determines the price. It’s up to the team to figure out if there are better options available.
The 2025 free agent class is led by Purdy’s backup in 2023. And if you watched Kirk Cousins throw a football last week, you’d think retirement was more likely than him sticking around for a few more years. In 2026, the only other available starter other than Purdy is Geno Smith.
Those are the options the 49ers are working with. And since that’s the case, the answer at quarterback is already on the roster.