“I think what we know about Brock [Purdy] is that he’s our guy,” the 49ers general manager John Lynch made his intention about Brock Purdy pretty clear it pretty clear in January this year. Earlier touted as a “Mr. Irrelevant” pick in the 2022 draft, the Niners had no idea that the same QB would lead them to a Super Bowl. And after what he has done for the franchise for over the last three years, Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan know that he is THE QB that the franchise needs. “I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here… We’re capable of winning the Super Bowl with him. He just almost did, and I know he’s capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future,” HC Shanahan also confirmed his stance in January this year. However, in recent weeks, the narrative seems to be shifting, with speculation growing that the Niners might consider moving on from Purdy for another generational talent.

Gone are those days when the Niners had the luxury of an elite quarterback for just $3.7 million for four years. Technically, he still has a year left in his contract. But if the 49ers do not make any move this offseason, the 25-year-old will enter the free market next year and that would be the last thing GM Lynch would want. As of now, multiple reports suggest that the 49ers did offer him a $45 million-a-year contract but Purdy may not accept anything less than $60-million-a-year [close to what Dak Prescott earns in Dallas]. Now, there were reports that San Francisco may replace Purdy with Shedeur Sanders-who is heading to the NFL this season. No doubt, Sanders’ draft stock and college numbers are impressive, but would the Niners really swap a proven Super Bowl-caliber quarterback for a rookie yet to take an NFL snap? As many 49ers fans would argue, one NFL analyst called it nothing short of “madness.”

Certain factions already believe that Sanders is a top-3 overall pick. Others, not necessarily skeptical but wary, reckon he could slide out of the lottery altogether. This has led to SI’s Grant Cohn floating the idea that he could be on his way to San Fran with the #11 pick. Cohn’s been covering the 49ers for over a decade, and his words don’t fall on deaf ears. That said, he’s lost Rich Eisen with this one. But what’s the thought process behind this rather out-there suggestion, if any at all? Cohn pointed to Shedeur being a similar archetype of QB to Purdy. A pocket passer who’s not the most athletically gifted but makes up for it with accuracy and poise. Scratch the surface, and you realize this proposal about Shedeur potentially replacing Brock goes from stupid to shrewd.

Having Purdy on such a steal contract has allowed the Niners to assemble the most stacked roster in the league around him. But that would not be the case anymore once he signs his new contract. So, are the Niners willing to keep Purdy or trade him and restart with Shedeur on another cheap rookie deal—something Shanahan is really good at? With all these hypothetical positives baked in, Rich Eisen sided with a cliche in some ways. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Speaking over his namesake show, Rich Eisen said, “I think that would be nuts to do,” when confronted with the idea of replacing Purdy with Sanders. He acknowledged the fact that Shedeur will relatively be very cheap over the next 4 or so years and will allow for spending elsewhere. However, Eisen retaliated with some very obvious negatives. “I think that would be madness. You just don’t want to go into the rookie quarterback mosh pit and hope they turn out like Brock Purdy, when you have the actual Brock Purdy. He led you to the big game. ‘Can you be the next guy to take us to the Super Bowl?’ Well, let’s not pay the guy who was the last guy to take us to the Super Bowl and be an MVP finalist in the process. It’s a little insane,” remarked Eisen.

Purdy did leave the field with the lead in the Super Bowl as a sophomore. We’ve seen Kyle Shanahan and the Niners’ brass enter the draft sweepstakes and how it went horribly wrong with Trey Lance. Shedeur Sanders has arguably got more in his repertoire than Purdy, yes. But it’s a gamble that could take the franchise 10 steps back. This only makes sense if they don’t trust Purdy’s a franchise quarterback in the NFL. But that’s a whole different can of worms…

From Shedeur’s perspective, he could do much worse than land with a franchise that was home to Joe Montana and Steve Young. A perennial contender who’s smack-bang in the midst of a championship window. It’s unlikely and yet hopeful scenarios like these behind why his father Deion Sanders took the stance he did regarding Shedeur’s future landing spot.

Deion Sanders opens Shedeur Sanders’ future to the entire field

Deion Sanders has been on a bit of a media tour lately, as he tends to do. The difference is this time around, he’s been quelling discourse rather than instigating it. Coach Prime has been extinguishing fires that Shedeur Sanders fanned the flames of regarding his interest in being drafted by the NY Giants. Shedeur flirted with the Giants rather openly. He wore cleats clad in their colors at the Alamo Bowl and even projected an uber-confident demeanor when linking HC Brian Daboll at an exhibition game earlier in the year. For the longest time, he seemed destined to land in the Big Apple with the #3 overall pick. However, this love hasn’t been reciprocated from the Giants’ side.

They’ve signed two veteran QBs Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson on one-year deals. This has really made a move for Shedeur unlikely. With his son’s future more inconspicuous than ever, Deion has explicitly stated to Skip Bayless that he’s open to absolutely any of the 32 franchises drafting Shedeur. This is a bit of a reversal, of course, after he’d previously said he’d try and steer the ship clear of certain franchises. Ones who’ve been in purgatory for a while and aren’t conducive to Shedeur’s growth and development. Well, this switch in stance does imply things are getting a little desperate for the Sanders clan as options condense down.

Alas, the answer to this intriguing mystery is now less than 4 weeks away. The 49ers are a very far-fetched possibility.  But as long as they don’t pay Brock Purdy, it remains on the board of outcomes. Trading away Purdy and replacing him with Sanders isn’t necessarily a one-to-one comp. It’s about the 40-odd million you can save and what you can do with that when you spread it across the team. Something that’s been the Niners’ modus operandi during this championship window, which they wish to sustain.