While San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have both been adamant that they want quarterback Brock Purdy to be in San Francisco for a long time, recent reports muddy that picture.
In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter said that it is not a guarantee the Niners will sign Purdy to a contract extension this offseason. He cites growing concerns about the salary cap combined with the large contract Purdy seems set to make as impediments to a deal getting done.
This comes after Lynch very subtly, and unprompted, noted that an extension with Purdy was not a sure thing in his press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine, while at the same time acknowledging that he wants to get a deal done.
What do we make of this?
These reports leaking out that the 49ers are worried about the salary cap and are not intent on spending big money this offseason seem like a front office and organization that is truly trying to play hardball this offseason.
A recent article by Eric Branch in the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required) notes that the 49ers view themselves as being in a new financial reality where they have to tighten their belt after being aggressive and going all out to win in recent seasons.
Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard also notes that executives in the organization have not been thrilled with most of the rich extensions they have handed out to players in recent seasons, which have not worked out as well as planned. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel never played as well after his extension, and the same can be said of defensive end Nick Bosa. Rumors that the 49ers want to trade fellow receiver Brandon Aiyuk suggest they regret the contract given him last year.
The Purdy business feels like a leak from a front office taking a shot across the bow at Purdy's camp to signal that they are not to be trifled with this time around. They are sick of handing out contracts that err on the higher side and end up looking like poor investments in retrospect.
This does not mean that a deal is impossible, but it certainly means the Niners are not going to be friendly to Purdy and give him anything he wants. After last season's struggles, they are not going to play nice anymore, which means they want to have the bigger end of the stick after this negotiation after feeling as if they have gotten the shorter end in recent years.
We will see how stubborn both sides end up being, but one hopes this does not become yet another dramatic and prolonged back and forth between the two sides like we have seen over and over in recent years.
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