This is fascinating.
The 49ers are engaged in a huge contract negotiation with Brock Purdy, and the two sides might not be so close to an agreement. Last year, the 49ers went through a bitter negotiation with Brandon Aiyuk. And while they struggled to get a deal done, multiple teams called the 49ers to try to trade for him. That's just the way the NFL works.
Now, Purdy is in a similar situation, which means teams should be ready to make the 49ers trade offers for Purdy if they refuse to pay him what he wants. But The Athletic's Dianna Russini recently questioned whether a trade market for Purdy truly exists.
"If he is a top 10 quarterback with Kyle Shanahan detached from it, how come no teams have called to trade for him?" Russini asked. "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."
You have to remember, Purdy struggled last season with Kyle Shanahan while making virtually no money. He won six games and ranked 13th in passer rating. So when Jed York said at the NFL Annual League meeting last week that Purdy is a top 10 quarterback when he's combined with Shanahan, even that might not be true.
In Purdy's career, his record is 18-6 when Christian McCaffrey plays, and it's 5-7 when McCaffrey is out. Which means Purdy is elite only when he's combined with the best running back in football who also draws double coverage when he runs routes.
No one has that player. The 49ers might not even have that player anymore -- McCaffrey is getting old and breaking down.
Trading for Purdy, paying him $55 million per season and expecting him to win games would be foolish. I'm not surprised he has no trade market.
