Last week, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that contract negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy had begun. After three seasons on his modest rookie deal, Purdy is now eligible for his first contract extension. The young quarterback has been one of the NFL's biggest bargains, allowing the 49ers to maintain significant salary cap flexibility.
That's about to change.
Purdy is expected to become one of the league's highest-paid players. NFL insider Jason La Canfora claims the 49ers' opening offer was $45 million per year.
"49ers playing hardball with Purdy is very on brand," La Canfora wrote. "Starting your offers at $45M a year is something."
A $45 million annual salary would tie Purdy as the 12th-highest-paid player in the NFL, alongside Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins. However, this may only be the 49ers' starting point. Purdy is widely expected to land within the league's top 10 highest-paid players, likely surpassing the $50 million mark annually.
Some argue that Purdy's résumé—leading the 49ers to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl in just two seasons as a starter—warrants a salary closer to the top of the list. Yet, ESPN's Adam Schefter recently suggested Purdy's deal might not be as costly as expected.
"So the Niners have a bit of a cap issue, cash issue, and so they can't put Brock Purdy necessarily where he might [want to] be," Schefter said this week. "They can go to a certain level they'd want to pay him, but it's not going to be, I would imagine, quite as high as most people think."
The 49ers hold significant leverage in negotiations. Purdy is under contract for just $5 million in 2025, and the team has the option to use the franchise tag for up to two additional seasons.
While Lynch acknowledged last week that nothing is guaranteed, he clarified that keeping Purdy with the 49ers for the foreseeable future is a priority.
"We want Brock to be our quarterback as long as we're here and beyond, and we'll leave it at that," Lynch said.
