NFL analyst suggests 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan might draft Shedeur Sanders to dodge Brock Purdy payday
Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy will probably be tasked with facing Shedeur Sanders at some point in the next few seasons. However, one outcome could lead to Purdy never facing Sanders altogether, and it has to do with his looming contract situation.
On Friday's edition of "The Right Time with Bomani Jones," NFL analyst Bomani Jones braced for a gargantuan plot twist.
"What's gonna start happening is these mock drafts are gonna start coming out, and Shedeur is gonna start slipping, and they'll have somebody come up at the back end of the first round, and he keeps your door in that first round," Jones said.
"But it's gonna be, 'Where does Shedeur Sanders go?' And they're gonna have that camera in his face. Johnny Manziel had that happen to him. Nothing would be funnier than if Kyle Shanahan took Shedeur Sanders at 11 so that they would not have to pay Brock Purdy."
In other words, the 49ers would rather spend a first-round pick than potentially $50 million or more on Purdy. At least, that is what Jones appears to have suggested.
Of course, for Sanders to fall, it would take every quarterback-needy team to pass on the quarterback prospect, including the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and potentially the Carolina Panthers.
For Kyle Shanahan to get his guy, he might have to take his fate into his own hands. Luckily, he has an impressive bargaining chip.
Detailing how Shedeur Sanders could potentially end up with Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan's 49ers own the 11th overall pick. With Shedeur Sanders expected to be drafted in the first handful of picks, the 49ers head coach would be faced with a startling option.
At this point, most believe that Brock Purdy is a franchise quarterback. If the 49ers were to trade Purdy, they might be able to nab the first overall pick from the Tennessee Titans. They also might be able to move to third overall by trading Purdy to the New York Giants.
Of course, such a move would be perhaps the biggest story of the NFL draft, but for quarterback-needy teams like the Tennessee Titans and the Giants, getting a quarterback still in his 20s who has been to a Super Bowl would be seemingly an easy sell.
That said, such a move would potentially put the jobs of both John Lynch and his trade partner on the line. Unless the move works out for both parties, the one who loses the trade could be on the hot seat.
Still, the scenario screams the adage of "nothing ventured, nothing gained." The San Francisco 49ers might be forced to take a big swing by handing Brock Purdy his contract after a down season, so essentially, trading him for Shedeur Sanders might not be as big of a leap in 2025 purely at face value.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "The Right Time with Bomani Jones" and H/T Sportskeeda.