49ers must buck recent contract trends to avoid Brock Purdy extension pitfall

The 49ers have historically waited long during extension talks, but they'd be better off not doing that with Brock Purdy.

The San Francisco 49ers haven't always been expedient with contract extensions for their top players.

Last year's high-profile contractual standoff with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is a prime example. Had the Niners inked the deal sooner, it would have been notably cheaper and wouldn't have been influenced by the contract signed by Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown later that offseason. But San Francisco waited, Aiyuk grew more expensive and a deal wasn't finalized until training camp.

The year prior, defensive end Nick Bosa didn't sign until nearly right before the regular season. Now-Washington Commanders wideout Deebo Samuel had to wait until late in the offseason the year before Bosa's negotiations, too.

The 49ers prefer to wait on contracts, which can be unsettling, given 31 other teams can have shots at resetting the market any given offseason.

Now, the Niners are faced with trying to get a deal done with quarterback Brock Purdy, who won't come cheap and is speculated to make an annual average of $50 million-plus on his new extension.

Compounding the matter is San Francisco's newfound trend of cutting costs after being the top cash-spending team in 2024, which has resulted in significant player departures, including Samuel.

Meanwhile, nothing appears imminent on the Purdy front. And that's not necessarily good news.

49ers must aim to get out ahead of Brock Purdy extension

Purdy has a lot of leverage. He saved the franchise a ton of cap space and cash the last two-plus seasons by playing on the cheapest contract possible for a player drafted in 2022. He also helped bail out the 49ers from the fiasco of drafting quarterback Trey Lance in 2021, a move that could have easily set the Niners back years.

On top of that, Purdy's own achievements during his tenure as a starter speak for themselves.

But San Francisco has leverage, too. It can let him play out the final year of his rookie contract, then apply the franchise tag not only in 2026 but in 2027 as well.

That's risky, though. And it might be in the 49ers' best interest to not wait, which they've done in the past with star talent while letting the offseason market dictate to them (and their players) what market value should be.

It's an argument NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho pointed out on FS1:

"Pay him and now and get ahead of it," Acho argued. "Pay him now. If you wait again, it’s going to be another $10 million. Another $12 million. Another $15 million, whatever the case may be."

Acho also argued it'd be in the Niners' best interest to get a deal done now because Purdy is "coming off a mediocre season," which has some truth to it in light of the signal-caller not coming close to replicating the MVP-caliber numbers displayed in 2023.

The Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud and the Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young will be eligible for extensions following the 2025 season, and it's feasible either/both could reset the quarterback market, based on how well they perform this year. Likewise, the Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy and the Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels are eligible for extensions entering 2027, which could cause further complications if San Francisco applies the franchise tag on Purdy a year from now.

Fans and pundits might argue whether or not Purdy is worth $50 million per season, and that's fine.

But, the one thing the 49ers can't afford to do is let the market get ahead of them.

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