With Purdy entering the final year of his rookie contract and making just over $5 million in 2025, the team is preparing to hand him one of the biggest paydays in franchise history.
“It’s just a math thing,” said owner Jed York. “When you make the decision that you want to pay a quarterback that has obviously been underpaid for his first three seasons in the NFL, you have to make sacrifices somewhere.”
"I don't see Brock Purdy making north of $55M
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 1, 2025
Obviously the 49ers want to sign him and I'm curious to see what the number is" ~ @PSchrags #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4nyqXaxFFW
Those sacrifices came in the form of significant departures.
The 49ers let go of 17 players through free agency, trade, or release—including key starters like Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, and Aaron Banks. Even veterans Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins were cut to clear future cap space.
In many of these cases, the team chose to take on dead money now—over $86 million in 2025—to ease their financial burden in 2026 and beyond. “When you’re not overly active in [free agency], it gets easy to say, ‘Oh, you don’t want to win,’” York said. “But we’re trying to do what’s best for our long-term future.”
Just another day reminding everyone that Brock Purdy deserves to get paid and posting a highlight until he does
— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) March 31, 2025
Day 4:
pic.twitter.com/CrpWBGnNt1
Despite a disappointing 6-11 season, York and general manager John Lynch remain committed to Purdy, who threw 31 touchdowns in 2023 and led the team to a Super Bowl appearance.
Even with his numbers dipping in 2024 due to injuries around him, York still calls him a “top-10 quarterback” and insists, “We want him to be here for a long, long time.”
The cost of doing that has already reshaped the roster, but the organization believes betting on Purdy now is the foundation for their next championship run.
Photo Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
