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The San Francisco 49ers finally committed to quarterback Brock Purdy this week, inking the former Mr. Irrelevant to a $265 million contract extension, but may have also kept their long-term Super Bowl hopes alive, in the process.
Contrary to deals such as Dak Prescott’s, Patrick Mahomes’, Josh Allen’s and Lamar Jackson’s in recent seasons, Purdy didn’t reset the market nor will he take up a prohibitive portion of the 49ers’ salary cap in the years ahead.
So, with Purdy’s contract signed, even if he regresses, one NFL executive tells me that he doesn’t believe that the 49ers should look to rebuild or get younger, rather continue pushing all in towards a sixth Lombardi Trophy.
“It’s time for them to keep building around Purdy,” an AFC Scouting Director told me, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about another team and player. “Which is a good thing. They’re getting old in some areas across the roster, haven’t drafted great in recent years, and Purdy is a good quality NFL starter that they can win with.”
Purdy, 25, is a career 67.5 percent passer, thriving in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system while passing for 9,518 yards with 64 touchdowns to 27 interceptions with a trip to the Super Bowl and second NFC Championship appearance already on his resumè through his first three seasons.
Even though the 49ers have seen a talent drain in recent offseasons, including trading playmaker Deebo Samuel to Washington this offseason, having a quarterback in place who has a track record of success may be the most important element of team building.
With Purdy on a relatively affordable deal, general manager John Lynch can continue building out the roster around him with the biggest piece of the puzzle already in hand.
More must-reads:
- It's time for the Bengals to meet their disgruntled star halfway
- New list further highlights QB Jayden Daniels' value to Commanders
- The 'NFL stadium names' quiz
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San Francisco 49ers draft bust gets the opportunity to prove he has what it takes to make it in the NFL in the Hall of Fame game
San Francisco 49ers fans will probably remember the name Trey Lance as long as they live due to how big a bust he was for the franchise. They drafted him third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and sent a trade package that included three first-round picks to do it. And their return on investment crashed and burned right before their eyes. He now has another chance to prove he belongs at the NFL level and try to separate himself from the "bust" label that might as well be written on the back of his jersey in the minds of fans. The Los Angeles Chargers have elected to name him the starter for the Hall of Fame game this Thursday, July 31, against the Detroit Lions. Former 49ers QB Trey Lance set to start for the Chargers in the Hall of Fame game During his time with the 49ers, Lance made four starts and only dressed for eight regular-season games. He recorded 797 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions as a 49er. Injuries derailed him from ever creating any momentum on the field, but the on field product was also simply not good enough. It became apparent to the 49ers that their seventh-round pick a year after drafting Lance was a better starter option for the time being. That QB, of course, is Brock Purdy, who still to this day holds the title as the 49ers starter and has led the team to two NFC Championship appearances and even punched their ticket to appear in one Super Bowl. While the Lance situation may never feel great for 49ers fans, many likely feel that things worked out significantly better than they could have, thanks to Purdy. Now Purdy is one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL, and Lance is battling to be a QB two in Los Angeles and will likely need to show out in the preseason to win the job.
Insider Report Ties Yankees to Pirates Pitchers in Final Hours Before Deadline
With less than 48 hours to go until the 2025 MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees are still flirting with the Pittsburgh Pirates over some pitching. According to insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees and Pirates are still discussing reliever David Bednar and starter Mitch Keller on Tuesday night. But while there’s interest in both arms, the Yankees might not like the price. “Bednar is a target. Keller interests them, too, but the price tag might discourage them,” Heyman reported Tuesday. That lines up with what we’ve seen from the Yankees so far this month. They’ve been aggressive in scouting relievers but cautious about overpaying, especially for pitchers under long-term control. Bednar, who has a 4.19 ERA and 16 saves in 2025, would fill a pressing need for a club that ranks near the bottom of the league in bullpen ERA for July. His late-inning experience and high ground-ball rate make him a logical fit. Keller, meanwhile, would be a luxury at this point, especially after Luis Gil’s impending return. The right-hander is having a bounce-back year for the Pirates, with a 3.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a team-leading 121 strikeouts in 125 innings. But he’s under team control through 2028, and Pittsburgh doesn’t appear eager to move him unless blown away. That’s likely where the Yankees’ caution kicks in. The team has shown a willingness to deal mid-tier prospects but has reportedly been hesitant to part with top-end talent like Cam Schlittler or Spencer Jones, especially for non-rental pieces. Still, the fact that conversations have occurred shows that even in the wake of Aaron Judge’s injury news, the Yankees remain active on both the bullpen and rotation fronts. The Yankees front office is casting a wide net. With time running out, names like Bednar and Keller remain firmly in the mix.
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
NHL players who will send their GM a 'thank you' card next summer
While it's possible a few moves will still occur in NHL free agency, most of the major wheeling and dealing is on pause. Here's a look at five players who will benefit the most this season from moves made by their general managers: New York Rangers right defenseman Adam Fox Fox was one of the top-producing defenseman in the league last season despite a revolving door of defensive partners next to him at five-on-five. To aid him, the Rangers signed Vladislav Gavrikov (seven years, $49M) with apparent goal of giving Fox the best defensive partner of his career. Gavrikov (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) was one of the best defensive defenseman in the league last season on the best regular-season defensive team (Los Angeles). If paired with Gavrikov, Fox could get increased minutes if the former King takes the toughest matchups. If split up, Fox will get the luxury of being matched against inferior opponents while Gavrikov takes the hardest minutes. Either way, that's a win for the former Norris Trophy winner. Carolina's wingers We're cheating a little bit here but with good reason. It's not really exactly where Carolina's new high-priced winger Nikolaj Ehlers (six years, $8.5 million AAV) will play — Carolina is likely to play him more often at five-on-five than he played in Winnipeg, where he was ninth in time-on-ice per game last season among forwards. Ehlers is an elite puck transporter who helped the Jets outscore opponents 100-55 at five-on-five the past two seasons, so at least one of Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis or Logan Stankoven will benefit from him. Montreal Canadiens right defenseman Lane Hutson Hutson (5-foot-9 and 162 pounds) will always have doubters because of his size. But some players transcend size, as Hutson did in an outstanding 60-assist rookie season in 2024-25. The Canadiens know that, in the right role, Hutson can do serious damage in creating offense at five-on-five and on the power play. Acquiring Noah Dobson, a 6-foot-4 right-handed-shot defenseman, will allow the Habs to keep Hutson in the ideal role. Dobson, playing a full season under HC Patrick Roy for the New York Islanders, put up his best career defensive metrics in high-danger chances against per 60 minutes (9.66) and expected goals against (2.29) in 70 or more games, according to Natural Stat Trick. Vegas Golden Knights Mark Stone Winger Mitch Marner's arrival could potentially give Stone a chance to take fewer shifts, play more games and be healthier come playoff time, when the Knights need his brand of two-way hockey to make up for Marner's history of playoff troubles. Stone, who has battled back problems for years, is 33 and on the back-nine of his career. The arrival of Marner has the potential to stretch out the effectiveness of the latter stages of his career. St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas Thomas has quietly become one of the more effective No. 1 centers in the league. His back-to-back 80-plus-point seasons are driven primarily by his speed and skill as a setup man. In free agency, St. Louis added centers Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad. Bjugstad should be able to take harder matchups at five-on-five. Suter, meanwhile, proved to be an effective penalty killer in Vancouver last season. That should allow Thomas to spend fewer minutes on the penalty kill, where he had the worst expected goals against per 60 rate (10.84, per Natural Stat Trick) of any Blues penalty killer to play at least 20 minutes on the PK last season.
Fabrizio Romano drops overnight transfer update with huge implications for Liverpool & Isak deal
Mets’ Juan Soto breaks silence on concerning injury after blowout loss to Padres
The New York Mets, despite plenty of ups and downs, have been one of the best teams in all of Major League Baseball so far this season, but they know they will need to stay healthy in order to stay at the top of the NL East and make a push for a World Series. On Tuesday night, the Mets suffered a significant injury. During the fourth inning of a critical series against the San Diego Padres, star outfielder Juan Soto fouled a ball off of his foot and was pulled from the game with a foot contusion. After the game, Soto gave an optimistic update on the status of his foot, via SNY. “I think it’s gonna be good,” Soto said. “I think it’s gonna be good. We’ve just got to get the swelling down. Whenever the swelling is down, I think we’re gonna be fine. X-rays are negative, so it’s a good sign. We’ve just got to wait for the swelling to come down and go back to where I’m at.” Soto also addressed his pain level after the game, after appearing to be in a world of hurt when he went down on the field originally. “It’s actually numb,” he said. “I don’t feel anything right now. It’s getting a little stiff but we’re gonna see in the morning how it goes.” Soto has been finding his stride of late for the Mets after some rocky moments earlier in the season, so New York will want to have him back in the lineup as soon as he can possibly get out there. For the season coming into Tuesday, Soto had racked up 25 home runs and 62 RBI. He was hitting just .249, but was still an on-base machine with an MLB-leading 84 walks. The Padres went on to beat the Mets very comfortably in a 7-1 blowout on Tuesday night, but New York still sits in the top spot in the NL East by a half-game over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets and Phillies are two of the best teams in baseball, so the health of a player like Soto can go a long way toward deciding who comes out on top.
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