The Deepest Position Group on the 49ers

The 49ers still have an established core of Pro Bowl veterans, but their depth is worse than it has been in years.

That's because the 49ers just gave Brock Purdy a five-year, $265 million contract extension. From 2022 to 2024, they paid him less than $3 million -- he was the biggest bargain in professional sports. Even some college football players made more money than Purdy.

This allowed the 49ers to spend lots of money on the rest of the roster, which is how they amassed the best roster in the NFL just two years ago. Now, many of those players are gone, and Purdy has to pick up the slack.

Unfortunately for Purdy, the offensive line is the thinnest position group on the team. It's one injury to Trent Williams away from being the undisputed worst offensive line in the NFL.

Instead of investing in the offensive line and protecting their investment in Purdy, the 49ers invested in the quarterback position in case Purdy gets injured. They signed former first-round pick Mac Jones to a two-year deal. He has been to the playoffs, a Pro Bowl and has more starting experience than Purdy.

In addition, the 49ers drafted quarterback Kurtis Rourke in Round 7 this year. Rourke is a tall pocket passer who can scramble and make anticipatory passes over the middle, which means he fits their system. So if Purdy were to go down for a few games or crash and burn entirely as the 49ers' franchise quarterback, they'll have other options at the position.