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San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy looks on after defeating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field

There are many facts of life. The sun rises every morning, and the moon sets every evening. For the San Francisco 49ers , one of their facts of life revolves around (no pun intended) signing Brock Purdy to a contract extension. It is going to happen. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed it, and Brock Purdy reassured it. The only questions are how much will Purdy receive and how long will the extension keep him in San Francisco.

While speculation has Purdy making anywhere between $30 million per year and a record-breaking $65 million annually, the answer likely lies somewhere in between.

However, in the latest rendition of his ‘Winter Mailbag’ for the San Francisco Standard, Tim Kawakami shares insights into Purdy and the 49ers’ ongoing negotiations.

Latest Brock Purdy and the 49ers Contract

While not asked directly about Purdy’s contract, Kawakami decided to address it anyway. In his opening statement, the insider claims the negotiations are trending in the right direction. Kawakami also gives a clear picture of an apparent timeline for a deal to take place.

“I received no questions about Brock Purdy’s contract situation with the 49ers, which is the true pivot point of this offseason. Clearly, 49ers fans don’t seem too worried about this negotiation; I think that’s an accurate take,” Kawakami notes. “This probably will get done. But the timing is important, too. The 49ers and Purdy don’t want this stretching into OTAs and minicamp and forcing Purdy to make a decision whether or not to skip those sessions, “hold-in,” or whatever.”

The 49ers are known to let contract negotiations linger. Look no further than last season, when Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams did not participate in any practices or the preseason due to contract disputes. Thankfully, there is a commitment from both the 49ers and Purdy to avoid any distractions.

Yet, the details of the contract could change things, a factor Kawakami also addresses.

Details of Purdy’s Contract

Kawakami reports that while the 49ers and Purdy are attempting to avoid a contract dispute, San Francisco may be trying alternative contract layouts to come to an agreement.

“I heard from a plugged-in NFL source this week that the 49ers and Purdy’s camp are, indeed, feeling like there won’t be fireworks on the way to an eventual deal. But I’ve also heard generally that the framework might be a little different than some other recent QB deals.” Kawakami continues, “I suspect this means the 49ers could be pitching a shorter-term, lesser-guarantee deal compared to the full-commitment deals signed by Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, and others over the last few years. Will Purdy and his agent be happy with that? Assuredly, there’ll be some negotiations. Nobody makes their best offer right off the bat. It might take time.”

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to a five-year, $275 million extension with $200 million in total guarantees. Yet, Purdy is more successful than Lawrence, having won more playoff games and finishing as an MVP finalist in 2023. Due to his success and the current quarterback market, it is doubtful Purdy’s agent would agree to the contract structure Kawakami suggests the 49ers are targeting.

Yet, the 49ers aiming for shorter-term, lesser guaranteed contract wreaks of trying to have their cake and eat it too — a stark contrast from the words of Kyle Shanahan earlier this offseason. Shanahan stated he plans on Purdy being in San Francisco as long as he is. So either Shanahan does not plan on being in San Francisco that long, or the team is having second thoughts on Brock Purdy as their franchise quarterback — which neither seems to be the case.

The 49ers will pay Brock Purdy, but how much and for how long remains to be seen.

Sterling Bennett is a Heavy.com contributor covering the NFL. He has half a decade of experience as a sports broadcaster at 95.7 The Game covering the San Francisco 49ers as part of the weekly “Overtime” show, where he covered Super Bowl 58. Bennett was the Golden State Warriors Network Coordinator from 2020-2024, where he was responsible for all gameday radio broadcasts, including the 2022 NBA Finals. More about Sterling Bennett