Brock Purdy contract extension expected to be 49ers statement, not question

Few teams were more excited to turn the calendar Wednesday than the 49ers, who had a miserable 2024. And like any club entering the offseason, San Francisco has abundant uncertainties. But whether they sign Brock Purdy to a contract extension is expected to be a statement, not a question.  

Adam Schefter said Monday that both Purdy’s camp and the 49ers want him back in a San Francisco uniform, needing only to agree on his value. An elbow injury that prematurely ended Purdy’s third NFL season may have helped them move closer to determining that value.

And while the sides work toward a new deal, former NFL player Domonique Foxworth said Tuesday on the Mina Kimes Show there was never a question in his mind.

“The answer is pay him,” said Foxworth. “And I get your point, there is a line where you wouldn’t pay him that much, but generally if you have a quarterback that operates in your system, I want to keep him.

“You got a quarterback, pay him as soon as possible because it’s not going to get any cheaper. And so, I guess that doesn’t sound like much of a vote of confidence for Brock Purdy because I’m scared. I know how dark it is, how cold it is out there in Quarterback Winter, and I got you got a nice little blanket that’s got some holes in it. But I’m not about to throw that away as soon as I can find something else.”

Something else could be paying more for Sam Darnold, returning the former 49ers quarterback to Kyle Shanahan’s system via free agency. That obviously would take up valuable salary-cap space. Another option would be to trade for J.J. McCarthy, or trade Purdy to a quarterback-needy team. Colin Cowherd even reported this week that the Cardinals will entertain dealing Kyler Murray.

But none of those options sound better than keeping Purdy in San Francisco. For now, the only certainty is that Purdy will miss this week’s season-finale when San Francisco (6-10) visits Arizona (7-9) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX). Joshua Dobbs will start in Purdy’s place.

For more information on the 49ers and Cardinals, visit the San Francisco and Arizona team pages at ProFootballPost.com.