Ranking most important 49ers in 2025: No. 1 is the franchise

Can he live up to his contract?

Jun 11, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws a pass during a team OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

In previous seasons, the quarterback has not been the most important player on San Francisco 49ers teams. Kyle Shanahan has built a scheme and a roster that tends to elevate quarterback play in ways that others cannot.

However, now that the team has decided to pay Brock Purdy like he is the franchise, he is officially the most important player on the roster.

Ranking most important 49ers in 2025: No. 1 Brock Purdy

One of the biggest benefits behind Purdy in recent years was his salary. He was a seventh-round pick being paid like it, so the team had financial flexibility compared to every other contender that was paying their quarterback an absurd salary. 

The team did not make him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, but his massive bump in salary is going to come in the next couple of seasons, and the team will need to find ways to weather that storm. That will mean being less aggressive in free agency and moving on from aging veterans who have questions. 

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

You saw this offseason that the 49ers let Aaron Banks, Talanoa Hufanga, and Dre Greenlaw leave while just hoping for in-house replacements to step into those roles. They have at least eight players from the last two draft classes slated to play significant roles. The team has little margin for error when it comes to their depth. This is all because of Brock Purdy. 

So, Purdy has to step his game up to another level. If he does, he has enough pieces, and by playing the most important positions, his play can make them legitimate contenders. However, if he plateaus or tails off, the 49ers will need every last draft pick to hit, or they will face significant consequences. 

The play of Purdy does not just impact where the 49ers go this season; it dictates the attitude of the franchise for years to come. The future is now, and the time to see Brock Purdy explode as an NFL veteran has come. Will he be that player?

Rankings up to Number 2

2. Trent Williams

3. Fred Warner

4. Nick Bosa

5. George Kittle

6. Christian McCaffrey

7. Deommodore Lenoir

8. Brandon Aiyuk 

9. Mykel Williams 

10. Kyle Juszcyzk 

11. Ricky Pearsall

12. Jauan Jennings

13. Dominick Puni

14. Renardo Green 

15. Colton McKivitz

16. Yetur Gross-Matos 

17. Alfred Collins

18. Malik Mustapha

19. Jordan Elliott

20. Blake Brendel

21. Dee Winters

22. Bryce Huff

23. CJ West 

24. Kevin Givens

25. Ji’Ayir Brown

26. Tre Brown

27. Upton Stout

28. Jason Pinnock

29. Ben Bartch

30. Spencer Burford