NFL insider claims Brock Purdy’s contract extension with 49ers could mirror Tom Brady’s approach with Patriots
The San Francisco 49ers are trying to tie quarterback Brock Purdy to a long-term contract. However, such negotiations could take longer than expected.
Purdy is currently contracted with the 49ers through the upcoming 2025 NFL season. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement before next season's conclusion, San Francisco always has the option to franchise tag Purdy over the next two seasons, prolonging the process even further.
However, both sides might want to complete the contract negotiations as soon as possible to shift the focus to on-field production. On Friday, NFL insider Dianna Russini recently offered her thoughts on the situation on her podcast, "Scoop City."
"I do believe the Niners still have leverage because he's cheap," she said. "What you're doing is setting the table for us—what this could be if San Francisco wanted to go that route. I don't think they will do that. I think they are going to get this deal done. I just don't think it's going to be as easy as I initially expected. So we're going to have to just wait and see. As they continue to negotiate, at least the conversations are happening."
Russini then further explained how Purdy's current negotiations with the 49ers mirror that of Tom Brady when he was re-signing with the New England Patriots back in the day.
"The coach starts talking to the quarterback, getting in his ear a little bit, saying, "Hey, look, you can make a lot of money outside of this contract. If you stay here in San Francisco, we've got tons of ways for you to make more money"—kind of like we saw in New England with Tom Brady. Tom Brady—he had the formula for all of that."
San Francisco hopes to ink Brock Purdy down for the long haul
Franchise quarterbacks are hard to come by, and the 49ers believe they've found theirs in Purdy. He was a seventh-round selection for the club in the 2022 NFL draft. After injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, who were ahead of him on the depth chart, Purdy found his way into the starting role and never looked back. Purdy led the 49ers to the playoffs in his first two seasons.
One of those seasons included a Super Bowl appearance, a losing effort against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. The team missed the playoffs this past season largely due to injuries that plagued the club. If they can re-sign Purdy and get healthy, San Francisco can get right back into the playoff picture in 2025.