Just over a week ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, 49ers general manager John Lynch emphasized a recalibration of San Francisco's spending habits, but that doesn’t mean there will be a change in philosophy.
The 49ers' locker room is filled with players who received the highest paying contracts in the league at their positions, including Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Fred Warner, Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey. Now that the player at the team's most important position is set for an extension, the 49ers cannot shift gears.
If the 49ers' front office does not reward Brock Purdy, as they have with other notable stars on the roster, it will send shockwaves throughout team headquarters that could change the culture of the franchise, and that is not something the team can risk.
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The inability to attempt an agreement would set a precedent of how the team failed to take care of a preeminent player on the offense.
This does not mean the 49ers will be able to extend everyone in the locker room, but it does mean that Lynch, with an assist from contract and salary-cap guru Paraag Marathe, must figure out a way to keep Purdy in the Bay Area for the long haul.
As Lynch intimated, the 49ers brass must be judicious with their spending, which might lead to the inability to sign free agents that will demand high-priced multi-year extensions. Players that have been long-time starters, such as offensive guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, might be lured by bigger agreements than the 49ers can afford in consideration of Purdy’s impending salary. That will be the adjustment.
Purdy not only plays one of the most important positions on the team, but he is beloved and respected in the 49ers' locker room. If the front office does not take care of their franchise quarterback, it sends a very questionable message to its players as well as those around the league.
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The 49ers are an attractive destination for players that have had the ability to sign high-profile free agents because of their reputation. It also keeps the roster intact for the long haul with players like Kittle and Warner wanting to spend their entire career with the franchise.
In 2024, the team was well under the salary cap but still spent a league-high $334 million on its players. Those numbers do not go unnoticed by players around the league.
Forcing Purdy to play on his rookie contract in 2025 with a salary of just over $5.3 million, and subsequently utilizing the franchise tag to keep him in the building in 2026, could be seen as an insult to the player who has taken the team to the NFC Championship Game in two of his three seasons as their playcaller.
Purdy will not get “back pay” per se, but there is an understanding that while the Iowa State product has helped the 49ers be contenders from 2022 to 2023, he was grossly underpaid. The 25-year-old netted only $2.88 million over three seasons after being drafted as the last selection (No. 262) in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 49ers will adjust to work within the parameters of the NFL salary cap, but they will never completely stop spending. To win, teams need great players who believe in the franchise and a solid locker room. Purdy is a pivotal part of that equation in Santa Clara and the team is very aware of his importance.