The San Francisco 49ers had a tumultuous offseason on the contract front.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s hold-in for an extension lasted until Aug. 29. Left tackle Trent Williams’s holdout for a restructured deal lasted until Sept. 3. It remains to be seen whether the prolonged negotiations will have an impact on the two All-Pros this season, but their contract issues offered a blueprint they simply cannot follow with quarterback Brock Purdy next offseason.
There’s a little bit of good news on that front for San Francisco.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a massive contract extension Sunday just ahead of the team’s Week 1 kickoff. His deal is a four-year pact worth up to $240 million with a reported $231 million guaranteed.
Prescott’s $231 million guarantee would be the most ever for an NFL player. His average annual value of $60 million is also the highest ever.
This sets a firm line for the 49ers to work with when they’re negotiating with Purdy. There’s not a market to worry about the way there was at wide receiver where things dramatically changed throughout the course of the offseason. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and Prescott were the next two big QB contracts ahead of Purdy and both are done.
San Francisco’s front office now has an entire season to prepare a competitive offer for Purdy. They know where the bar is and it makes sense that Purdy would command as much or more than Prescott given that the 49ers’ signal caller has four playoff wins in two seasons – that’s two more than Prescott has in eight seasons. Purdy has also been to two NFC title games and a Super Bowl in two seasons. Prescott has never been to an NFC title game.
The 49ers’ business model of delaying big contracts until training camp cannot be the move with their franchise QB. Purdy is eligible to sign an extension the moment Week 18 of the 2024 season ends. That’s when the 49ers should get on the phone with the QB’s representation to begin negotiations, and they should begin those negotiations ready to raise their offer quickly.
Prescott offered a clear line on Purdy’s value. The 49ers just need to follow it accordingly to avoid another prolonged contract negotiation with one of their most important players.