The 49ers just locked Brock Purdy into a five-year, $265 million deal in the spring of 2025, so on the surface this looks like a long-term answer at quarterback. Purdy is 26, he’s built enough at 6’1” and about 220 pounds, and he brings the kind of traits teams pay for: aggression, playmaking, accuracy, and a knack for avoiding sacks and negative plays.
Still, one NFL writer is floating a far bolder idea about where San Francisco could be headed next.
Vincent Bonsignore says the 49ers are a team to watch if Joe Burrow ever becomes available. He wrote:
“Multiple league sources have indicated that San Francisco is a team to watch if Burrow serves the Bengals with divorce papers. For the same reasons (49ers head coach) Kyle Shanahan and (general manager) John Lynch made an earnest run at Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2021, some believe they would not hesitate to do the same if Burrow is available.”
That’s the kind of speculation the league can’t seem to shake when Burrow is involved. ESPN’s annual quarterback rankings had him at No. 4, and he even picked up a No. 1 ranking.
The injury history is part of why this idea has traction. Purdy dealt with a catastrophic injury as a rookie, and last season he was banged up again. Burrow has his own long list of missed time: he sat out half of last season, missed seven games in 2023, and back in 2020 he suffered a season-ending left knee injury.
Bonsignore also drew a line from Burrow to Stafford, suggesting frustration in Cincinnati could eventually push Burrow toward a trade request. He said:
“Much like Stafford’s patience with the Lions eventually ran out and ultimately led him to ask for a trade, Burrow could reach his boiling point with the Bengals. And there has been just enough ice cracking in Cincinnati to suggest another lost season could lead Burrow to take a page out of Stafford’s playbook.
If that happens, and if Purdy and the 49ers don’t close the deal this season, the 49ers are a logical trade partner. In fact, Purdy could be the focal point of a hypothetical trade with the Bengals, along with a bunch of draft assets.”
The comparison isn’t exact, though. San Francisco went after Stafford in 2021 before it had a franchise quarterback in place, and Burrow’s talent is in a different class from Purdy’s. But the injury concerns around Burrow are real, and that’s what keeps this idea alive.
For Purdy, the conversation this season should look different because he finally has a WR1 to throw to. When he had that kind of help in 2023, he finished fourth in MVP voting and seventh in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
There’s also a strong case that this is the best supporting cast he’s had so far, health permitting. If Evans is better than Brandon Aiyuk, and if Ricky Pearsall is better than Deebo Samuel as a route runner, then Purdy gets a boost on the outside. He also has De’Zhaun Stribling as a big-bodied speed option over the middle, plus vertical threats in Christian Kirk, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins.
If Purdy is truly the quarterback the 49ers believed him to be when they handed him that massive extension, then he should get more than two seasons to prove it - especially if 2025 turns into another injury-heavy year.
In Other News...
5 Young 49ers Could Force Their Way Into Camp Battles
Training camp always has a way of turning long-shot names into real roster conversations, and that is exactly the lane several young 49ers are trying to drive into this summer. Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, Romello Height, Kurtis Rourke and Ephesians Prysock all arrive with different paths, but the same basic opportunity: show enough in practice and preseason work to make the coaching staff think twice about the depth chart.
For San Francisco, the appeal is obvious. The roster has established pieces, but there are also openings for a backfield helper, a special teams contributor, a situational pass rusher, a quarterback insurance option and a young defensive back who can make an early impression on the new staff. None of those jobs is guaranteed, and that is what makes this camp stretch worth watching. The 49ers do not need every one of these players to hit, but if even a couple do, the competition around them could get a lot more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Camp Absences Suddenly Put Early Week 1 Focus On Four Names
The early days of 49ers camp already have a roster churn feel to them, with general manager John Lynch making a tight end swap and another move on the defensive line looming. San Francisco waived undrafted rookie Khalil Dinkins with a non-football injury designation and brought in Tanner McLachlan, a 2024 sixth-round pick who was most recently with the Bengals, while defensive tackle Evan Anderson is expected to be released once the corresponding transaction is made.
The bigger camp storyline, though, is the group starting on the active/PUP list, where George Kittle, Isaac Guerendo, Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins will all be monitored as the team maps out its first weeks of preparation. Lynch said Kittles rehab is coming along tremendous and that he is doing everything possible to be ready for Week 1, while Williams is also pushing to be available for the opener, even if there is still some uncertainty around that timeline. [Read more 🡒]
49ers QB Room Suddenly Faces A Bigger Question Behind Brock Purdy
The 49ers are set to take a look at Jack Plummer, adding another name to a quarterback room that already has plenty of moving parts behind Brock Purdy. Plummer arrives with some real intrigue as the reigning UFL MVP, and his path has been anything but straightforward, with stops at multiple colleges and a stint with the Carolina Panthers before he was waived.
If San Francisco brings him in, he would be joining a competition that already includes Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez and Kurtis Rourke for the backup job. Plummer is also scheduled for a workout with the Dolphins next week, which gives this one a little extra urgency for the 49ers if they want to keep the quarterback picture from getting even more crowded. [Read more 🡒]