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San Francisco 49ers Updates
Although the 2024 season was disappointing, with neither he nor the San Francisco 49ers reaching the success of their Super Bowl campaign in 2023, it is probable that quarterback Brock Purdy will be offered a highly lucrative contract extension at some stage this offseason.
Purdy has experienced an impressive ascent since he was chosen by the 49ers as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and was catapulted into the starting position in Week 13 due to injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, delivering an MVP-level performance in 2023 that concluded with San Francisco coming within one play of seizing the championship.
His 2024 marked a decline for Purdy as he faced challenges due to injuries affecting multiple players on his support team during a disappointing 6-11 season for San Francisco.
Even with the challenging season, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch both emphasized that Purdy is the future quarterback for the 49ers, paving the way for him to receive a lucrative contract and not have to play out the last year of his rookie agreement.
However, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning had a significant reminder for Purdy when questioned about the 49ers’ quarterback during the Pro Bowl Games week, where he served as the coach for the AFC team.
Manning informed NBC Sports Bay Area: “Without a doubt, when you secure a contract of that nature, expectations certainly accompany it.”
I remind players that it’s not a reward for past actions, but a prepayment for what we expect from you now.
“That’s what players should keep in mind.” You need to go out and achieve that. This signifies he has performed well, but now we require you to become an even better player. I believe Brock is naturally suited for the role, recognizes the expectations tied to being an NFL quarterback for the 49ers, and I am confident he will rise to the challenge.
Manning’s advice is crucial for Purdy to consider. Although he could potentially secure a contract that ranks him among the highest earners in the NFL, the 49ers are expected to backload Purdy’s agreement and seek a contract arrangement that allows them a feasible exit if he fails to meet his pay expectations.
However, Manning believes in Purdy’s capability to rebound next season with a complete roster of stars, as the Niners quarterback has mostly been without Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk this year and has witnessed other key players struggle with injuries.
Manning stated, “They suffered numerous injuries.” I believe that for a quarterback, consistency is important; having the same wide receivers, running back, and tight ends alongside you on every drive and in every game aids your performance as a quarterback.
“I’m not suggesting that you can’t win with other players in the mix, but it does make it more difficult.” I believe that many of their injuries, including Christian’s, and Deebo [Samuel] and Aiyuk being present, along with him signing late and [Ricky] Pearsall’s injury contributed to this. That creates challenges, yet Brock is a driven individual and I believe they will recover and perform better next year.