49ers named ‘landing spot’ for $160 million quarterback to replace Brock Purdy

What does the future hold for the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy?

The 2024 season was disastrous for the 49ers as a whole, as the team went 6-11 and finished last in the NFC West just one year shy of a Super Bowl appearance.

While third-year signal caller Purdy wasn’t bad by any means, he wasn’t able to carry the load in the face of key injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Now that he’s extended eligibility and entering the final year of his incredibly cheap rookie contract, San Francisco must begin the process of deciding his future with the club.

The 49ers had Sam Darnold on their roster as Purdy’s backup in 2023, but the former New York Jets first-round pick broke out in 2024 as a starter with the Minnesota Vikings. Now a free agent, Darnold will be looking for a long-term starting option, whether it’s in Minnesota or elsewhere.

On Wednesday, Gary Davenport of Bleacher reported brought up a surprising possibility: could the 49ers actually ditch Purdy for Darnold as their starter in the offseason?

“Some of the brilliance came from Purdy in 2024,” Davenport wrote. “Obviously injuries played a role, but Darnold outplayed Purdy last year in almost every statistical category. Darnold will want a hefty raise, but his annual salary will be more in the Baker Mayfield range than Kyler Murray.”

“Darnold knows the system in San Francisco from his brief stint there. Trade offers from QB-hungry teams for Purdy would be robust. And it’s not like we haven’t seen the Niners make an aggressive move at quarterback before.”

Darnold is expected to get a four-year, $160 million contract by Spotrac. That might sound like a huge expense, but the same site projects Purdy at four years, $238 million, so they would save nearly $20 million annually by selecting Darnold.

It doesn’t look like it’s happening at this point, but Davenport seems to be hinting at the idea that maybe it should.

The 49ers learned in 2024 that everything can fall apart if Purdy doesn’t have his full arsenal around him. If they sign him long term, they may never be able to afford such a stacked arsenal again.

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