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The San Francisco 49ers face a big, expensive decision in whether to extend quarterback Brock Purdy or not. But the team may feel all right with their backup if Purdy decides to sit out for a bigger deal.
While it would seem logical for the 49ers to ink their 25-year-old quarterback to an extension, there seems to be some disagreement on the price. According to NFL insider Dianna Russini, the “line” Purdy's potential deal is floating around is that of Trevor Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year. At $55 million per year, Lawrence's average salary is tied for second in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love, and Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen.
If the 49ers and Purdy are unable to come to a deal, though, he may choose to hold in or out, following the footsteps of teammates Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams, both of whom were eventually paid shortly before San Francisco's 2024 season opener. In the case that Purdy sits and waits for an extension, Russini suggested the 49ers could be OK with playing backup quarterback Mac Jones.
“Remember too; before they traded three first-round picks for Trey Lance, they wanted Mac Jones. Guess who's on this roster? Mac Jones,” Russini said on the ‘Scoop City' podcast with co-host Chase Daniel. “If Brock decides to sit or he’s not around, which he would never do that… [Daniel] just went on a soliloquy for 40 minutes on systems. So you drop Mac Jones in the Kyle Shanahan system, you may get those numbers we saw Jimmy G throw out.”
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Daniel remained unconvinced that Jones, who appeared to regress during his three years as the starting quarterback with the New England Patriots and then served as Lawrence's backup — and injury replacement — in Jacksonville would be a suitable replacement for Purdy, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl a little over a year ago.
Still, Jones is on the roster, and the longer Purdy's contract negotiations take, the more likely it is that he will not participate in team activities during the summer and, potentially, the preseason. If Purdy decides to play, he will earn $5.4 million and become a free agent next offseason.
