The 49ers have a pressing financial matter in the form of wideout Brandon Aiyuk for this offseason. By this point next, year, however, quarterback Brock Purdy will be eligible for a new deal. The latter will be in line for a substantial raise given the nature of his first two years in the NFL.

Purdy took over for an injured Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo during the 2022 campaign, and he helped guide the team to the NFC title game. Despite the major elbow injury he suffered in that contest, the former ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ entered the 2023 season as San Francisco’s undisputed starter. His play during much of the year did not do anything to alter that moving forward.

The 24-year-old led the NFL in passer rating (113) as well as other categories in a stellar follow-up to his rookie success. Purdy earned a Pro Bowl nod and finished fourth in MVP voting, confirming his status as a franchise quarterback. The going rate for players who fit that bill has surged in recent years, something 49ers CEO Jed York is acutely aware of.

“When we signed Jimmy several years ago, it was the largest deal in the history of the NFL, for three minutes,” York said, via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “But Jimmy was at [$27.5MM per year]. That’s what the market is and you have to accept the reality of the world. To me, the quarterback is the most important position not just in football, but all of sports, and those guys should be paid a lot of money.”

Four quarterbacks have reached the $50MM mark in terms of annual average value (all ascending passers who agreed to monster extensions last offseason). The likes of Trevor Lawrence and Dak Prescott are among those who could also reach that mark, and deals with either of those would add further to the lucrative environment the QB spot is currently in. Purdy – who has two years remaining on his rookie pact and is due $985K in 2024 – will have considerable bargaining power next offseason if he is able to remain a key figure in San Francisco’s offense.

Each of that unit’s other top contributors (Aiyuk, fellow receiver Deebo Samuel, left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle) are already on the books for at least one more season, though. Aiyuk will join the others in being a financial commitment in 2025 if an extension can be worked out. San Francisco’s cap situation will look much different if a Purdy extension is finalized, but well before that can take place York’s comments convey an awareness it will be a very pricey endeavor.

OCTOBER 28: Shanahan announced on Saturday that Purdy has cleared the protocol, meaning he is off San Francisco’s injury report altogether. He will therefore be able to play in Week 8 as the 49ers look to avoid their losing streak extending to three games.

OCTOBER 27: Purdy has made tangible progress over the past several days, and it remains possible he will be able to play in Week 8. Shanahan confirmed on Friday (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner) that Purdy has cleared four of the five steps required to be eligible to return from concussion protocol. If he passes the fifth stage – clearance for full contact – on Saturday, he will be an option to start for San Francisco, something which would delay Darnold’s 49ers debut.

OCTOBER 25: All four of the 49ers’ quarterbacks suffered injuries that took them out of games last season, but Brock Purdy had paused that run of misfortune this year. Not long after completing his recovery from UCL surgery, Purdy looks likely to miss at least one game due to a concussion.

San Francisco’s starting quarterback entered concussion protocol following the team’s Monday trip to Minneapolis, Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. This points Sam Darnold toward a start against the Bengals in Week 8.

The 49ers signed Darnold to a one-year, $4.5MM deal in free agency, seeking to add a veteran while Purdy rehabbed and Trey Lance returned from a fractured ankle that required two surgeries. Darnold ended up beating out Lance in training camp, and the 2018 No. 3 overall pick has been Purdy’s backup all season.

Purdy began showing concussion-like symptoms on the plane ride back from Minnesota, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. The 49ers are holding out hope the Mr. Irrelevant investment-turned-starter can clear the protocol in time for Week 8, but since the NFL elongated the process after the Tua Tagovailoa investigation last year, players have more steps to navigate before doing so.

A fourth-quarter quarterback-sneak attempt resulted in Purdy taking a blow to the head from Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks, though the second-year passer stayed in the game. After ramping up in exercise, Purdy must be cleared by both a 49ers physician and an independent neurological consultant before returning to action. The beefed-up protocols have effectively put a stop to players making instant re-emergences after head injuries, and the 49ers will likely be dealt another setback at the game’s premier position. The team saw Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy and Josh Johnson go down last season; Johnson’s concussion in the NFC championship game led to the NFL reimplementing the emergency third QB rule this offseason.

In a short week, the 49ers will face a Bengals team coming off its bye. Darnold, however, is one of the NFL’s most experienced backups. He started 55 games with the Jets and Panthers from 2018-22. The 26-year-old passer finished last season as Carolina’s starter, taking over after the team’s Baker Mayfield experiment fizzled. Darnold has struggled with accuracy for much of his career, not completing more than 60% of his passes in a season since 2019. He was at the controls when the Panthers surprisingly rebounded last season, going 4-2 as a starter.

While the former USC star has yet to establish himself as a dependable option, he has shown flashes and chose the 49ers due largely to Shanahan and the offensive talent in place. That nucleus dwarfs the setups Darnold had in New York and Charlotte, though San Francisco was without All-Pros Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel on Monday. Should Darnold be called upon, he will be the seventh 49ers starting quarterback in Shanahan’s tenure. Brandon Allen, who signed with the team in May, would be in place as his backup.

With Brock Purdy well into his recovery from UCL surgery, optimism is high that the 49ers will have their preferred starting quarterback in Week 1. Further progress in his rehab schedule was recently made.

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When Purdy was initially cleared to participate in team drills, he was understandably put on a pitch count. Last year’s ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ took rest days between practices as his throwing arm returned to full strength. That restriction was lifted this past week, as head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated (via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com).

Purdy has long been expected to be available for the start of the season, and being an everyday participant in training camp practices is another sign that he will be in place for Week 1. The 23-year-old has also repeatedly received praise from Shanahan and the rest of the coaching staff for his level of play filling in for both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo late in the 2022 campaign and through the postseason. Purdy’s place at the top of the team’s new quarterback depth chart has not changed.

“He’s been [the starter] since last year ended,” Shanahan confirmed, via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “He was always clearly our starter, but there were so many questions about his injury, how he’d come back from it, that we didn’t even know if he’d be ready for this year, so we had to prepare for everything else… Trey was the guy we gave the keys to last year, so we were definitely excited to have him in a situation [to play], and we also didn’t know if Brock would be back, so we needed someone to come in and at least compete with Trey, and give us a chance, because Trey was hurt last year, and just got cleared before OTAs.”

The latter point helped explain the addition of Sam Darnold to compete for the backup role with Garoppolo no longer in the fold. In a further illustration of Lance’s underwhelming showings since being deemed the starter ahead of last September, Darnold is believed to be in the lead for the QB2 role. The remainder of the preseason will leave plenty of opportunities for the pecking order to change, but a healthy Purdy will of course alleviate many concerns at the position ahead of a campaign in which San Francisco again has substantial expectations.

Purdy is among the 49ers starters who will take part in tonight’s game against the Broncos, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. That will mark his first live action since the NFC title game, and another step toward his full-time debut as the team’s undisputed starter under center.

After suffering an arm injury during the NFC Championship Game and subsequently undergoing offseason surgery, Brock Purdy is ready to return to the practice field. General manager John Lynch announced today that the quarterback has been cleared to practice without any restrictions (per Tyler Dragon of USA Today). However, Lynch did caution that Purdy will be on a pitch count during training camp.

“Brock is cleared and ready to go. He’s been cleared and gonna be without restrictions,” Lynch said. “Now having said that, we’re sticking and adhering to a plan that’s been put in place for some time. He got after it the last couple days. We upped his pitch count.

“He’ll take off Day 1 but we believe in that plan. He’s cleared without restrictions, but there will be some time off due to pitch count. But the great news is Brock has worked his tail off and he’s ready to go.”

Purdy suffered a complete tear of his UCL, and while he managed to avoid Tommy John surgery, he still faced a lengthy rehab. While the 49ers added some extra insurance at the position in Sam Darnold, the team has also provided optimistic updates about Purdy throughout the offseason.

Last we heard, the quarterback had resumed throwing and was still on track to start in Week 1. Considering he’s set to be a participant for the start of 49ers training camp, we can probably still count on Purdy’s availability heading into the regular season.

The Mr. Irrelevant of the 2022 draft had a rookie season for the ages. He went 5-0 as a starter, completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He continued his strong play in the postseason, helping the 49ers win a pair of playoff games while tossing three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Considering his injury and lack of NCAA pedigree, it was uncertain if Purdy would retain his starting role heading into 2023. However, the 49ers have been adamant that the second-year QB is set to lead their depth chart, with Darnold serving as the primary backup. This means former third-overall pick Trey Lance is set to be the third-string quarterback heading into the 2023 campaign. The 23-year-old was limited to only two games last season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury, and with Purdy emerging late in the season, several teams reach out to the organization to check on Lance’s availability.