Are the 49ers Too Eager to Extend their Star Players?

The 49ers offseason either was terrible or outstanding depending on how you look at it.

The pessimist says the 49ers lost nine starting players and signed zero starters in free agency, so they got worse. They need five or six rookies to play right away and a few older veterans to stay healthy. Good luck with that.

The optimist says the players the 49ers let go weren't core members of the team and that the 49ers spent big money to extend three foundational players -- George Kittle, Fred Warner and Brock Purdy. This ensures the 49ers will have a prosperous future.

The truth probably is somewhere in between.

The 49ers can tell themselves that the extensions they gave out were team-friendly and that the players they extended were more than worthy. But they can't ignore the fact that their recent track record with extensions isn't great.

In 2023, the 49ers gave Nick Bosa a five-year, $170 million contract after he had recorded 18.5 sacks and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Since then, he has 19.5 sacks in two years and was often injured last season.

In 2024, the 49ers gave Christian McCaffrey a two-year, $38 million extension. He went on to miss eight games with bilateral Achilles tendonitis and the final five games with a torn PCL in his knee. When he played, he averaged a mere 4.0 yards per carry.

The 49ers also gave Trent Williams a new three-year, $82.66 deal last year. He went on to miss the final seven games with an ankle injury.

Finally, the 49ers gave Brandon Aiyuk a four-year, $120 million. He bought three cars, dropped four passes and scored zero touchdowns in seven games before tearing three knee ligaments against the Chiefs.

At some point, the 49ers must acknowledge that players get injured more often as they age, and giving large sums of guaranteed cash to professional athletes seems to reduce the incentive to play football, a game that is inherently brutal.

The 49ers need more hungry players.