The San Fransisco 49ers have seen a mass exodus from their roster so far this offseason. After trading WR Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, several players signed with new teams in free agency, including LB Dre Greenlaw, CB Charvarius Ward, S Talanoa Hufanga, G Aaron Banks, T Jaylon Moore, and EDGE Leonard Floyd.
Why are so many players on the move? Because according to NFL Media's Mike Garafolo, quarterback Brock Purdy will be receiving a new contract this offseason which is likely to be nearly $60 million per season.
"Now if you go back over the last five years or so and you see the quarterback deals that were done, the average per year is usually anywhere from 21 to 25 percent of the salary cap," Garafolo explained on NFL Network's "The Insiders" on Thursday. "If it's on the low end of that, he's going to clear guys like Trevor Lawrence."
While many may quibble over whether Purdy is worth the top-of-the-market rate, it shouldn't be a surprise that we've gotten here. Purdy quarterbacked the team to back-to-back NFC Championship game appearances in 2022 and 2023, including a Super Bowl run in 2023. In 2023, he threw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns and finished fourth in MVP voting.
The 49ers are following the league's normal life cycle
And if Purdy's looming contract isn't surprising, the ramifications of that contract shouldn't be surprising either. All teams with a franchise quarterback have to go through this cycle. First, they (hopefully) find their quarterback early in his rookie deal. Then they get to pay for a great team to surround him. But when that first contract is up, you have to adjust.
We saw the Kansas City Chiefs trade away WR Tyreek Hill after Patrick Mahomes got his contract. The Cincinnati Bengals let Jesse Bates sign elsewhere after Joe Burrow signed a new deal. And shortly after Josh Allen got his first extension in Buffalo, the Bills moved on from LB Tremaine Edmunds.
When you have to pay a franchise quarterback, you expect him to make the players around him better. That means you can have cheaper veterans, and more rookies on the field than you had during that quarterback's early years.
Luckily the 49ers still have plenty of blue chippers, at least for now. LT Trent Williams, RB Christian McCaffrey, and WR Brandon Aiyuk are all top players at their positions on offense, but they are all coming off of injury-riddled seasons. The defense will still be led by Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, but that supporting cast needs new blood.
It is no longer a question of will Purdy get paid, or even what tier of contract he'll get. It is now just a matter of exactly how much, and when will the contract happen.