The week started with the 49ers working on new contracts for two key players: tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy.<\/p>\n
Kittle\u2019s deal is done. The details can be reviewed here. Given that the contract was finalized at a time when the 49ers are actively negotiating with Purdy, there are clues in Kittle\u2019s contract as to how Purdy\u2019s contract could be structured.<\/p>\n
First, Kittle\u2019s deal has two fully-guaranteed years at signing. That creates a fairly obvious expectation that Purdy will have two fully-guaranteed years, too.<\/p>\n
Some quarterbacks get three fully-guaranteed years at signing on non-rookie deals. Some get two. Others (Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, for instance), get one. By giving Kittle two fully-guaranteed years at a time when Purdy\u2019s contract is being hashed out, common sense suggests the 49ers will be trying to use a similar structure for Purdy.<\/p>\n
Second, Kittle has a small full guarantee at signing in year three (i.e.<\/i>, $2 million). He can, based on his performance in the second year (2026), unlock another $5 million in full guarantees for 2027.<\/p>\n
Third, Kittle\u2019s deal has an unrealistic final year ($22.4 million in 2029, when Kittle will turn 36) that drives the new-money APY from $18 million to a record-setting (for tight ends) $19.1 million.<\/p>\n
If the 49ers are able to get those three factors in Purdy\u2019s new deal, here\u2019s how the contract may look.<\/p>\n
First, he would have two fully-guaranteed years \u2014 2025 and 2026 \u2014 at (not-so-wild guess) perhaps $90 million in full guarantees at signing and cash flow. (Not bad at all for the Mr. Irrelevant\/Dr. Kevorkian of the 2022 draft, who has been paid by the 49ers a paltry $2.637 million through three total years of his rookie deal.)<\/p>\n
Second, Purdy would have a small full guarantee in the third year at (not-so-wild guess) perhaps $10 million.<\/p>\n
Third, he\u2019d be able to unlock an even greater full guarantee for the third year based on not-unrealistic performance triggers at (not-so-wild guess) perhaps another $20 million. (There\u2019s a chance the potential extra full guarantee in year three will be guaranteed for injury at signing. Kittle doesn\u2019t have that.)<\/p>\n
Then, the final year or two of the four- or five-year extension would have non-guaranteed salaries that would drive the new-money APY beyond $50 million and possibly into the top five of $55 million or more.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s go with $55.1 million, which would put Purdy beyond everyone but Dak Prescott and Josh Allen in new-money APY. Let\u2019s also assume a five-year extension. That\u2019s $275.5 million. Throw in Purdy\u2019s current 2025 salary of $5.346 million, and it becomes a six-year, $280.846 million contract.<\/p>\n
The average at signing would be $46.8 million. Which is a far cry from $55.1 million. And, if the final year or two contains higher salaries (let\u2019s go with $60 million in 2029 and 2030), it would really be a four-year, $160.846 million deal. Which equates to an average payout from signing of $40.2 million per year.<\/p>\n
The broader point is this. It\u2019s very<\/i> easy to generate a new-money APY that will generate headlines and, in turn, good publicity for the agents who are hoping to parlay the representation of Purdy into more clients. It\u2019s also very easy for the 49ers to grant that favor while also having a deal that isn\u2019t nearly as valuable as $55.1 million per year.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the very broad needle the 49ers may be trying to thread. Make the contract look great when it\u2019s leaked to reporters and broadcast to the world without context or detail. By the time the contract is fully analyzed and valued, it can \u2014 and likely will \u2014 be something far more affordable for a team that clearly wants to keep Purdy in the fold for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n
In truth, the structure could give them the ability to abandon ship if Purdy stagnates or regresses, especially with a starting lineup that already looks far different than the one that went to the Super Bowl less than 15 months ago.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a win-win. Purdy gets an eyebrow-raising contract, while the 49ers make a far more reasonable and rational commitment to a guy who objectively isn\u2019t among the five (or, some would say, 10) best quarterbacks in the NFL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The week started with the 49ers working on new contracts for two key players: tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":52824,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n