Should the 49ers Trade Brock Purdy in 2025?

If the 49ers make Purdy the highest-paid player in the NFL next year, no one will criticize them, because he's a terrific quarterback. But it may not be the right move for them.

Brock Purdy is the biggest bargain in sports right now, but in a year he could be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Should the 49ers pay him all that money or trade him next year instead?

Jed York clearly wants to pay him -- he said so at the NFL Annual Meeting. Franchise quarterbacks are extremely difficult to find and Purdy is the best QB the 49ers have had since Jeff Garcia. So trading Purdy would be a tough sell to 49ers ownership, although he probably would be worth multiple first-round picks.

If the 49ers make Purdy the highest-paid player in the NFL next year, no one will criticize them, because he's a terrific quarterback. But it may not be the right move for them.

The 49ers are a run first-team. They barely throw the ball 30 times per game. Passing is an afterthought for them -- it's not the focus of their team. With the exception of Trent Williams, the offensive linemen are a bunch of zone-blocking specialists who struggle in pass protection. And schematically, the 49ers offense is much more advanced and cutting edge when it comes to running the ball as opposed to passing.

As long as Kyle Shanahan is the head coach, Jake Brendel is the center, Jon Feliciano is the right guard and Colton McKivitz is the right tackle, it doesn't make sense for the 49ers to spend a ton of money on their passing game.

So unless the 49ers fire Shanahan, revamp their offensive line and change their entire offensive philosophy, they'd be better off trading Pudy in a year than extending his contract. That's the cold, hard truth.