NFL insider drops shocking bombshell about Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers seemed to say plenty about their feelings of quarterback Brock Purdy when they signed him to a five-year, $265M contract extension that included $181M in guarantees and a no-trade clause back in the spring of 2025. 

Meanwhile, multiple reports shared throughout the first half of 2026 suggested that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow could ask to be traded in early 2027 if Cincinnati misses the playoffs for a fourth straight year. 

For an article published on Friday, NFL insider Vincent Bonsignore of The California Post dropped a bombshell regarding the futures of Purdy and Burrow. 

49ers "are a team to watch" to land Joe Burrow in 2027?

"Multiple league sources have indicated that San Francisco is a team to watch if Burrow serves the Bengals with divorce papers," Bonsignore wrote. "For the same reasons (49ers head coach) Kyle Shanahan and (general manager) John Lynch made an earnest run at Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2021, some believe they would not hesitate to do the same if Burrow is available."

Purdy missed significant time last season due to what became a lingering toe injury, and he ultimately went 7-2 across nine regular-season starts. However, the 49ers eventually suffered a 41-6 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs. 

In February 2024, Purdy was one 49ers defensive stop away from becoming a Super Bowl champion. That's all well and good, but the NFL is the ultimate "what have you done for me lately" business. Additionally, the harsh truth of the matter is that most members of the football community would view a healthy Burrow as an upgrade over a healthy Purdy.

For what it's worth, Burrow has a worrisome injury history, so much so that history suggests he may struggle to stay healthy from September through January (or February) 2027. 

Could Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy switch teams in 2027?

"Much like Stafford’s patience with the Lions eventually ran out and ultimately led him to ask for a trade, Burrow could reach his boiling point with the Bengals," Bonsignore added. "And there has been just enough ice cracking in Cincinnati to suggest another lost season could lead Burrow to take a page out of Stafford’s playbook. If that happens, and if Purdy and the 49ers don’t close the deal this season, the 49ers are a logical trade partner. In fact, Purdy could be the focal point of a hypothetical trade with the Bengals, along with a bunch of draft assets."

Of course, such a report could look downright silly if Burrow and the Bengals go up against Purdy and the 49ers in Super Bowl LXI this coming February. That said, one wonders if the two signal-callers will be asked about the Bonsignore story during training camp.

Veteran 49ers players are due to report to camp this Saturday, while veteran Bengals players will report on July 28.