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Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.

In the ever-evolving landscape of the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves at a pivotal juncture regarding their quarterback situation.

Brock Purdy, the team’s current starter, is looking for what will likely be a substantial contract extension, potentially worth up to $60 million annually. This financial demand poses significant salary cap issues for the 49ers, potentially hindering their ability to retain and acquire talent.

Meanwhile, over in the Midwest, Sam Darnold, a quarterback whose career has been a bit of a  rollercoaster, is also at a crossroads. After a standout season with the Minnesota Vikings, where he led the team to a 14-2 regular season record and earned Pro Bowl honors, Darnold is set to hit free agency, and his market value remains anyone’s guess.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named the Niners as one of Darnold’s most likely landing spots — although Davenport did admit it’s a bit of a stretch with Purdy awaiting an extension.

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“This is the least likely landing spot listed here—and potentially the best-case scenario for Darnold,” Davenport admitted. “It’s unlikely because the San Francisco 49ers have given no indication that their long-term plans don’t include Brock Purdy under center. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t mince words when discussing how he envisions the team’s future at quarterback.”

For those with short memories, Purdy beat Darnold out for the Niners’ starting QB job ahead of the 2023 regular season. Still, Davenport believes Darnold had the better 2024 campaign.

“Sure, injuries played a part, but Darnold outplayed Purdy last year in just about every statistical category,” Davenport wrote.

“Darnold will want a fat raise, but his annual salary will be more in the Baker Mayfield range than Kyler Murray. Darnold knows the system in San Francisco from his short stint there. Trade offers from QB-needy teams for Purdy would be robust. And it’s not like we haven’t seen the Niners make an aggressive move at quarterback before. If the Niners are going to keep their Super Bowl window open as contracts like Purdy’s come due, they’re going to have to be creative.”

This would certainly be that.

Brock Purdy Will Be the Guy for 49ers Barring

Darnold’s prior experience with the 49ers does add a layer of familiarity that could facilitate a smooth transition back to San Fran. Having previously served as a backup in San Francisco, he is acquainted with Shanahan’s system. This familiarity could expedite his integration into the starting role, should the 49ers choose to move on from Purdy.

That’s probably not gonna happen though.

The 49ers’ decision-makers, including GM John Lynch, have expressed a commitment to securing Purdy’s future with the team. “I think what we know about Brock is that he’s our guy,” Lynch said, via NBC Sports.

“We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He’s done so much for our organization; he’s won big games and had a little tougher task as we all did this year with some of the things that happened throughout the course of the year. We just never could string games where we were all together and through that, he continued to lead, he continued to play at a high level, so we have every interest in him being around.”

Still, the financial implications of a high-value contract for Purdy cannot be overlooked. Darnold’s availability offers a viable alternative that balances experience, potential and cost-effectiveness. We’ll see where Darnold ends up, as he’ll likely have multiple suitors, as well.

Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore