Technically, the 49ers hold some leverage in negotiations over Purdy, who still has one more season remaining on his extremely affordable rookie deal. So they don’t necessarily have to get something done this offseason.
But everything from the 49ers outwardly has been proactive and positive toward rectifying the situation now over later. York even sounded like Purdy’s agent at one point in speaking with Garafolo, explaining how several college quarterbacks are actually making more money per year via Name, Image and Likeness benefits than Purdy is with his NFL contract. York even lamented not being able to get something done with his quarterback even sooner than is currently allowed by league rules, after players have accrued three seasons in the league.
“Last year, (Purdy) was the 30th highest-paid college quarterback,” York claimed. “So when guys with NIL are making more than a third-year NFL pro, there’s something wrong with the system with not being able to extend guys earlier in the NFL.”
But both parties must deal with the rules that are in place now, and the 2025 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away. Phase One of the offseason program follows shortly thereafter. York long ago signed off on the team getting something done with Purdy and spoke like a man who believes a deal will eventually get done, even while the lack of updates has frustrated all parties.
“I’ve been in situations where you have a great roster and the quarterback isn’t set, and it’s hard to have sustained success,” York said. “We want to make sure that Brock is a long-term partner. We want to make sure that he’s a part of our team for a long time.
“It’s a decision — I don’t know exactly when we made it — but it was sometime in the middle of the season, knowing that you can start negotiating at the end of the third year, and it’s like, ‘All right, he’s our guy.’ And if he’s our guy, you have to know that and make those decisions, and that’s where we are right now.”
