CBS Sports imagines 49ers QB shakeup in wild NBA-style trade

The San Francisco 49ers made it clear that Brock Purdy is their quarterback of the future, signing him to a five-year, $265 million contract extension this offseason. That deal effectively ends any realistic speculation of a quarterback shakeup or trade involving Purdy.

That is—unless you're willing to entertain a bit of fantasy.

Inspired by the blockbuster trades often seen in the NBA, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin explored what it might look like if NFL teams adopted a similarly aggressive approach to trades. In a recent piece, Benjamin outlined several wild, NBA-style trade scenarios—purely speculative, of course.

None of the proposals are intended to be taken seriously. Still, Benjamin admits he would love to see NFL front offices get creative like their NBA counterparts, adding drama and intrigue to the league's offseason.

In one of the boldest scenarios, Benjamin includes the 49ers in a four-team deal involving the Falcons, Dolphins, and Saints. In this trade, San Francisco receives Kirk Cousins and a pair of draft picks, while Purdy lands in Miami, and Tua Tagovailoa is shipped to New Orleans.

Full trade breakdown:

• 49ers get: QB Kirk Cousins (Falcons), 2026 second-round pick (Dolphins), 2026 third-round pick (Saints)
• Dolphins get: QB Brock Purdy (49ers)
• Saints get: QB Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)
• Falcons get: C Matt Hennessy (49ers), 2026 fifth-round pick (Saints)

The deal is undoubtedly complex, something more commonly seen in the NBA than in the NFL.

"The 49ers just paid Purdy, which is completely understandable, but we know Kyle Shanahan has an affinity for his old pal Cousins," Benjamin wrote, "and we know Cousins is currently blowing in the wind, awaiting an opportunity as Atlanta's No. 2. The Purdy-to-Cousins swap might be a downgrade in 2025, but adding a couple of early-round picks could help San Francisco replenish its greater infrastructure."

San Francisco underwent significant roster turnover this offseason, using the draft to restock key positions left vacant by veteran departures. That youth movement is expected to continue into 2026, and additional Day 2 picks could help in the process.

Still, a Purdy-for-Cousins swap, especially given the significant age gap, seems far-fetched. The 49ers spent years trying to find a franchise quarterback, and it's unlikely they would pivot away from a 25-year-old who led them to consecutive deep playoff runs to start his career.

"Miami, meanwhile, might embrace a more dynamic signal-caller for Mike McDaniel's timing-based offense, while sending Tagovailoa to another former left-handed quarterback in Kellen Moore, whose Saints are sorely inexperienced under center," Benjamin said of the Purdy-to-Dolphins and Tua-to-Saints moves.

This scenario is one of only two multi-team trades featured in the CBS Sports article, making it stand out among the imaginative proposals. And while nobody should take these hypothetical trades seriously, they offer a fun thought experiment for fans during the lull before training camps—which, apparently, can't get here soon enough.