Here’s the full pod. John Lynch on draft trades, Shanahan being a psycho, and NIL. Plus your #AskMeAnything questions including Abdul Carter on #11https://t.co/6g0D02h0VS
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) May 5, 2025
"When it gets done, I'm not sure," Lynch said. "Hope sooner than later, but hope is not a strategy. So, we're making progress. We've had good discussions."
Impact
Lynch makes it sound like it's simply a matter of time before the 49ers and Purdy find middle ground, so that means nothing too drastic is on the way. Owner Jed York already doubled down on the team's commitment to Purdy in February.
Continuing the marriage between the 49ers and Purdy should be an obvious decision for both sides. He has amassed a 23-13 record as a starter while posting incredibly efficient averages in passing yards per game (238.0) and net yards per passing attempt (8.01). The 49ers even made the Super Bowl following the 2023 season, narrowly losing 25-22 to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
As excellent as Purdy has been through three seasons, the fact that he was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft still likely lingers in his market evaluation. Rival teams would probably be skeptical that he could succeed outside the 49ers' system, so the threat of eventual free agency isn't the bargaining chip for Purdy that it would be for other quarterbacks.
Purdy is about to enter the final year of his incredibly modest rookie deal, and the 49ers would still have access to the franchise tag in 2026, so they enter negotiations with a fair amount of leverage. That could very well be enough to keep Purdy from dramatically resetting the market on his next deal.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott currently holds the title of the league's highest-paid quarterback thanks to his four-year, $240 million extension signed prior to last season. The $60 million per year average of that deal might be out of reach for Purdy. Something closer to the $55 million per year average first achieved by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow may be more appropriate.
Still, even a deal of that scale could drastically alter the 49ers' roster construction. Purdy has accounted for less than $3 million total against the cap through his first three NFL seasons. Once Purdy claims a piece of the salary cap pie more commensurate with his success, the 49ers could struggle to surround him with the level of talent he has enjoyed to this point in his career. Purdy will have to be that much better as an individual to make up that difference. If the 49ers are going to make their way back to the Super Bowl, Purdy will have to prove he's the real deal.
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