2024 season: 6-11, fourth in NFC West, missed playoffs
Overview: The offseason of Brock Purdy has arrived. The 49ers failed to secure a Super Bowl title during the discount window of Purdy’s rookie contract (four years, $3.7 million). As he approaches the final year of that deal, Purdy is due one of the biggest pay raises in league history.
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The 49ers are fully expected to give him that raise. General manager John Lynch said negotiations are ongoing, he told reporters at the NFL scouting combine.
So how big of a raise will Purdy secure? Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1M), Trevor Lawrence ($55M), Jordan Love ($55M) and Jared Goff ($53M) have all signed recent extensions in excess of $53 million annually, while Dak Prescott broke the bank with a $60 million annual salary with the contract he signed in September.
Where Purdy falls on that spectrum will be up to him and the 49ers, but he won’t come cheap after leading his team to a Super Bowl and two NFC championship games in his first three seasons as a pro.
And his impending contract has already forced the Niners to make financial sacrifices, with the team agreeing to trade star receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. The deal is effectively a salary dump for San Francisco.
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There’s plenty more to address in a critical 49ers offseason, but everything else is secondary to Purdy.
NFLPA report card
Ranking: 8th
Players gave the 49ers positive feedback in just about every category, from team facilities, dining and a strong culture created by coaching and ownership. The biggest complaint was about the team charging for child day care during home games, which is something only one other NFL team does.
Here is the San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 NFLPA report card. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Key free agents
CB Charvarius Ward
LG Aaron Banks
LB De’Vondre Campbell
LB Dre Greenlaw
RB Jordan Mason (restricted)
S Talanoa Hufanga
Who’s in/out: Greenlaw and Hufanga are key defenders who each come with extensive injury histories. Greenlaw missed most of 2024 with an Achilles tear, while a wrist injury and recovery from an ACL tear limited Hufanga this season. The 49ers will have a lot to consider when calculating each player’s future with the team.
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The 49ers signed cornerback Deommodore Lenoir to a $92 million extension in November that could make Ward less of a priority. Given Christian McCaffrey’s injury history and Mason’s performance in his stead in 2024, the 49ers surely would like to retain Mason. The price may ultimately prove too high to match, and Mason could net San Francisco valuable draft capital in return as a restricted free agent.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Key free-agent needs
Offensive line
Defensive line/pass rush
Running back
Why the holes? The 49ers need upgrades on both lines after deficiencies in the trenches played a big role in their disappointing 2024 season. If Banks walks in free agency, that’s one more hole that they’ll have to fill up front in addition to potential upgrades at center and right tackle alongside an aging Trent Williams.
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The 49ers ranked in the bottom third of the league in sacks in 2024 and need a young playmaker opposite of Nick Bosa.
Do they have the money?
The 49ers enter the offseason with an estimated $33 million in salary cap space, which is in the lower half of the NFL, per Spotrac. Trading Samuel resulted in a significant cap hit, and Purdy’s presumed deal will eat up a significant portion of the remaining space.
Notable potential cuts
DT Javon Hargrave (to be released)
Why they might be gone: Hargrave, 31, is not the same player he was when the 49ers signed him to a four-year, $84 million contract as a free agent in 2023, and the 49ers restructured his deal to create a potential out in June. Cutting him with save the team $2.2 million in cap space.
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Draft picks
1st round: No. 11
2nd round: No. 43
3rd round: No. 75
3rd round (compensatory)
4th round
4th round (compensatory)
4th round (compensatory)
5th round (from Commanders in Deebo Samuel trade)
6th round
7th round (from Panthers)
7th round (from Cardinals)
7th round (compensatory)
Good draft fit
Kelvin Banks Jr, OL, Texas
Why him? There will be competition for left guard Aaron Banks in free agency. Right tackle Colton McKivitz is due to play on the second year of a two-year, $4.6 million contract; the 49ers should be considering a long-term upgrade at the position. And Trent Williams isn’t getting any younger. Banks is one of the top linemen in the draft and can play inside and out in multiple spots on the offensive line. He’d be an ideal fit in San Francisco.
Tracking the recoveries of Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk will also be important, but the trading of Deebo Samuel Sr. is a major needle-mover. George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall get significant fantasy boosts after San Francisco moved on from Samuel. —Dalton Del Don
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