Is contract standoff between 49ers, Brock Purdy brewing amid uncertainty?

While it seemed earlier this winter that the San Francisco 49ers could announce at any time that they had locked quarterback Brock Purdy down via a lucrative contract extension, there's no indication the two sides are close to an agreement. 

For a piece published on Friday, 49ers/NFL insider Michael Silver of The Athletic suggested that team CEO Jed York is ready to play hardball in negotiations with Purdy's camp through the summer. 

"The 49ers are attempting to be cold, calculated and analytical when it comes to roster decisions, an organizational reset that coincides with the negotiation of a massive contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy," Silver explained. "Purdy, the NFL’s most underpaid player during his first three seasons, wants a lot of York’s money."

The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy has two NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl trip on his resume. He'd own a Super Bowl ring today had his defense made a crucial fourth-down stop versus the Kansas City Chiefs back in February 2024, and he was a finalist for the 2023 regular-season Most Valuable Player Award. 

Nevertheless, Silver indicated the 49ers-Purdy situation "could get messy" depending on how discussions between the parties go before the start of springtime workouts. 

"The 49ers can freely proclaim to the world that Purdy remains under contract — he’s due to earn $5.2M in 2025 — and could theoretically be franchised in each of the following two seasons," Silver continued. "Conversely, Purdy’s camp can float the possibility of a holdout."

Silver added that he expects York and 49ers executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe "to be as ruthless as they deem appropriate" in talks with Purdy’s representatives. 

None of this means San Francisco fans should panic regarding Purdy's future. After all, the 25-year-old hasn't requested to be traded to a team willing to meet his exact contract demands, nor has he publicly said he won't report for training camp on time without a signed extension. Purdy could even offer the 49ers somewhat of a hometown discount to help the team build around him for at least the next handful of seasons. 

It's still likely Purdy and York will eventually agree on a contract that benefits everyone involved. If March ends without a deal being signed, however, it could be interesting to see if legitimate rumors about the 49ers possibly taking calls about Purdy's availability surface leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft that gets underway on the night of April 24.