In the wake of the 2023 season, it would have been easy for fans to absorb the idea of the San Francisco 49ers dishing out a massive contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy.

The problem, though, was Purdy wasn’t eligible for one. And then, 2024 happened.

Despite a decent campaign, the third-year signal-caller notably regressed from his MVP-like numbers the previous season. Sure, a banged-up offense didn’t help matters much, but Purdy demonstrated he wasn’t quite the franchise-elite player capable of shouldering an entire team regardless of the supporting cast.

Not the best context in which to enter contract-extension talks.

At 2024’s conclusion, Purdy made it clear he wanted a distraction-free extension process without drama. And while there’ll inevitably be back-and-forths between the two parties, the hope is a number can be reached between the two sides that’s amicable.

But, should the Niners guard themselves against committing big money (and big years) to a player who might not appear as big a cornerstone as originally thought?

Apparently.

49ers may be looking for a short-term contract extension with Brock Purdy

The SF Standard’s Tim Kawakami shed light on the nature of Purdy’s pending talks. And while the major focus among the fanbase has been on the dollar amount for the quarterback, particularly if he’ll reset the market as the highest-paid signal-caller in NFL history, Kawakami suggested a different approach.

“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. 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.”

Lawrence, in particular, inked a five-year extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars worth up to $275 million, $142 million of which is fully guaranteed, according to Over the Cap.

Judging by Kawakami’s statements, it would appear as if San Francisco might opt for an extension in the range of two or three years, potentially averaging out on the high side of annual earnings but less on the guaranteed cash.

Now, would Purdy’s camp agree to that? Possibly. At the same time, Purdy has leverage, too, and he’ll assuredly use that during talks.