There’s no bigger key to the San Francisco 49ers offseason than Brock Purdy’s contract extension.
Given how the team has handled some of its other sizable deals in recent years, allowing them to linger deep into training camp, the timeline of Purdy’s extension matters more than the actual dollar amount.
There’s serious danger for the club if Purdy’s contract talks last into August or September, but there’s some reason for optimism that won’t happen. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on her podcast ‘Scoop City’ indicated both the 49ers and Purdy’s camp are motivated to get a deal done earlier than the last couple of contracts San Francisco has negotiated.
“But from everything I know, both sides are very committed to getting this deal done,” Russini said via the Athletic. “I think they’re going to begin working on this very soon. This isn’t something they’re going to be pushing off or that we’re going to be discussing during training camp. I think this is something that they’re both in line with. Let’s get the ball rolling on this and figure out where we are going to land on a number.”
General manager John Lynch in his season-ending press conference indicated the team was committed to Purdy as its franchise signal caller. If that’s the case, working to hammer that deal out before the team reports for OTAs in mid-April would behoove the 49ers.
Perhaps there’s a long standoff over dollars or structure. All signs for now point to an early negotiation, which is a good sign for a contract getting done before training camp begins.