49ers already making good on John Lynch’s word when it comes to Brock Prudy

Actions always speak louder than words, and general manager John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers are ostensibly putting their money where their mouths are.

Lynch and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently held their end-of-season press conference. When addressing the media, the former expressed his desire to have Brock Purdy under center for a "long, long time." However, 2025 notably marks a contract year for the team's franchise quarterback.

So, in preparation for Purdy's looming payday, the San Francisco front office has begun cutting costs elsewhere. Per ESPN's Nick Wagoner, Lynch confirmed the Niners will designate veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave a post-June 1 release this offseason.

49ers already making good on John Lynch’s word when it comes to Brock Prudy

The transaction won't become official until the new league year. But when it does, it will shed $2.85 million from the 49ers' payroll while creating a $7.375 million dead cap hit. It may not sound like much financial relief to part ways with a productive player (when healthy). Nonetheless, every dollar counts for Lynch and Co. as they zero on extending Purdy.

As Wagoner points out, San Fran has an "interest" in retaining Hargrave's services down the road. With that in mind, letting go of the interior defender is a math problem they solved with Purdy presumably in consideration.

Purdy is undoubtedly in line for a massive raise after playing his tail off on a "Mr. Irrelevalant" rookie-scale contract. He's transformed himself since entering the NFL as the last pick of the 2022 draft. The 25-year-old is a legitimate building block for a perennial Super Bowl contender (excluding the 2024 campaign).

San Francisco signed Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal in 2023. He made an immediate impact, amassing 14 quarterback hits, seven sacks and two pass deflections en route to his second career Pro Bowl nod. Alas, a partially torn triceps limited him to three games this season. Yet, his upper-echelon pass-rushing ability was still apparent before going down, as confirmed by Pro Football Focus metrics.

Despite being battle-tested throughout 2024, Purdy thrived. He set the single-season franchise record for passing yards (4,280) and became the first 49ers passer to throw 30-plus touchdowns since Jeff Garcia in 2001. After seeing his performance, Lynch is ready to pony up, signaled by Hargrave's departure.