For all intents and purposes, it's only a matter of time before the San Francisco 49ers get a contract extension done with quarterback Brock Purdy. Maybe it gets done before the offseason program starts on April 22, but it seems sure to be done before training camp.
Purdy does not seem likely to hold out if it is not done. But back in January, he said he wanted to have something done "sooner than later" and by "Phase 1" (in reference to the start of the offseason program).
Still, the idea of Purdy possibly being traded as been out there very peripherally. There is a speculative angle that says contract talks could go the wrong direction, and the 49ers get pushed toward considering a trade/granting Purdy permission to seek a trade.
The addition of Mac Jones, for whom head coach Kyle Shanahan has affinity, lightly pushes the idea the 49ers can draw a line in contract negotiations with Purdy and pivot.
Insider passes along expected sentiment about Brock Purdy trade market
On the latest episode of the "Scoop City" podcast, The Athletic's Dianna Russini and former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel talked about the contract talks between the 49ers and Purdy. Russini referenced CEO Jed York calling Purdy a top-10 quarterback, with the caveats "when you combine him with Kyle (Shanahan) and combine him with what we have."
Russini then landed on something with Purdy, in regard to a hypothetical trade market.:
"If he is a top 10 quarterback with Kyle Shanahan detached from it, how come no teams have called to trade for him?", Russini said. "There have not been any teams that have called the 49ers to trade for Brock Purdy. That kind of tells you how the rest of the league views him without Kyle Shanahan."
The discussion about Purdy starts at around the 35:30 mark of the video below.:
Purdy is easy to shrug off as a product of Shanahan's system, which has made a number of mediocre (or worse) quarterbacks into functional players. Daniel defended Purdy from the perspective of a quarterback, noting rare signal-callers who can put a team on their back regardless of circumstance.
It could be well-known the 49ers won't trade Purdy, so teams aren't calling because they know it's a dead end. So dismissing him as a replaceable system quarterback, as Russini did, becomes too much.
A largely hypothetical trade market for Purdy apparently not existing is not surprising, but no teams calling the Niners about trading for Purdy needs that additional context.
It doesn't matter if no teams are interested if he's not going to be traded.
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