The San Francisco 49ers have had a whirlwind of a week when it comes to rumors, as wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was initially believed to have requested a trade before his agent debunked the buzz on social media.
Following that, Philadelphia Eagles receiver Devonta Smith earned a three-year, $75 million extension that involves $51 million in guaranteed money, setting the baseline for an Aiyuk contract that the 49ers have tried to accomplish over the past few months.
In potentially paying their top receiver a hefty extension, the 49ers are looking to capitalize on their current championship window after falling just short in the playoffs once again this past season.
However, the clock is ticking with their current core, as several key players are scheduled to be free agents in 2025, while San Francisco will likely have to make a tough decision regarding at least one player of their core as they maintain their window.
All of this is currently occurring while 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is on his rookie contract, taking up cap hits of $1.004 million and $1.119 million over the next two years, respectively, before becoming a free agent in 2026.
Purdy’s contract has been one of immense value for the 49ers, as the 24-year-old developed into one of the NFL’s young, emerging quarterbacks in 2023, helping lead the team to the Super Bowl, where they ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
As a result of having a cheap contract at quarterback, San Francisco has been able to build a strong infrastructure on both sides of the ball around Purdy, dishing out significant extensions to Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Fred Warner.
However, being a free agent in 2026, extension talks will likely begin for Purdy next season, who could command upwards of $45 million a year on a long-term deal, given the ever-increasing landscape of quarterback contracts.
That could significantly shift the 49ers’ roster outlook, as they’d then have to spend high-end capital at the quarterback position, which hasn’t been the case over the past few seasons.
Evolving NFL trend with receivers
For years in the NFL, the solution to helping young quarterbacks develop has been acquiring or drafting high-end pass catchers, which has often cost teams to make an investment at the receiver position.
Looking at some of the top young quarterbacks over the past few seasons, you can see a trend emerge.
Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes had Tyreek Hill. Buffalo’s Josh Allen had Stefon Diggs. Justin Herbert had Keenan Allen. Dak Prescott had Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb.
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