The 2022 NFL Draft had its stars. Sauce Gardner strutted in with the swagger of a shutdown corner. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave flew off the board like rocket ships. Even Kenny Pickett got the “face of the franchise” treatment from Pittsburgh. But as the cameras turned off, and the analysts packed up their takes, one name was still waiting. Pick No. 262. The very last one. Brock Purdy. A name barely announced before being forgotten.

Fast forward, and the Niners made him the starter. For San Francisco, Purdy was the closest they received to a Tom Brady‘s 199 overall pick storyline. So, what went wrong? Nothing. He wants to rep the Red and Gold, but on a salary that screams he’s the guy. After stealing two years of elite quarterback play on a rookie salary, the Niners are finally facing the tab—and it won’t be cheap. The latest in the contract negotiations is that they tried to play ball, but Brock sent the offer back like a bad DoorDash order.

According to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, the deal is “just sitting out there,” and Purdy’s camp isn’t biting. That’s not just a subtle nudge—it’s a firm “nah, try again.” Is it too hard to understand that Brock wants to be paid like a Man who’s under center? And not in some discount, feel-good story kind of way. NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo said it best: Purdy isn’t trying to crack the top 10 of QB salaries—he wants to flirt with the Dak Prescott zone. That means $55–58 million annually.

The Niners, of course, have been clearing cap space. Deebo Samuel? Gone. Leonard Floyd? Cut. Hargrave, Collins? Out. They’re clearly gearing up to give someone a massive payday—and all signs point to Purdy. But here’s the catch: while the front office is planning like Purdy’s “the guy,” they’re trying to get him on a deal that still helps the team stay competitive.

There’s a lingering tension. Some execs reportedly believe the 49ers should let this play out and tag him next year if needed. And the trade market? Crickets. Jason McCourty tried to stir something with a Steelers trade take, but Dianna Russini confirmed no teams have shown real interest. That silence? It’s either a huge compliment to the Niners’ leverage—or a red flag that no one outside the Bay sees Purdy as a standalone superstar.

But here’s the twist: this might still work. The salary cap just jumped $20 million, and quarterbacks eating up 21–25% of it is now the norm. Purdy, by all accounts, isn’t looking to torpedo the Niners’ future. But he’s also not settling. And a QB room without the franchise QB feels more or less empty. Maybe that’s why the 49ers are pushing the players out of the roster.

Will pushing Brandon Aiyuk out pay Brock Purdy’s due?

The rumor mill says Kyle Shanahan wouldn’t mind parting ways with Brandon Aiyuk. Why? To create room for Brock Purdy’s inevitable payday. But the problem is that the math doesn’t exactly check out. Aiyuk’s deal — a hefty four-year, $120 million extension — should help clear cap space, but it’s not the golden ticket some might think.

First, let’s talk numbers. Aiyuk carries a $9.9 million cap hit for 2025. If the 49ers trade or cut him post-June 1, they save around $6.1 million. Not bad. But they’d still eat dead cap, and this isn’t a “free up $30 million overnight” kind of move.

And then there’s Purdy with his eyes locked in on the golden range of $55m – $60m. Now, the 49ers could do what they always do — backload the deal, make 2025 look friendlier on the books. But even with Aiyuk gone, they’d still need to do some cap gymnastics: restructure contracts, shuffle pieces, and maybe let go of other key guys.

Also — and this is big — Deebo Samuel is already out the door. He was traded to Washington in what many believe was the first step in this financial reshuffling. That move came with a significant dead cap hit, so if you think the front office wouldn’t do it again with Aiyuk just because of a nearly $38 million dead cap… well, you haven’t been watching Shanahan long enough.

Still, public-facing optimism exists. “We expect fully that Aiyuk will be a part of us moving forward,” said GM John Lynch recently. But head coach Kyle Shanahan might be quietly sketching something else in the margins. And Aiyuk? The guy’s recovering from a brutal ACL tear and had just 374 yards in seven games before his 2024 season got cut short. That’s not ideal timing when you’ve got $76 million in guarantees looming.

So does trading Brandon Aiyuk solve the Brock Purdy puzzle? Not entirely. It helps, sure. But the Niners would still be juggling big contracts, staring down a $55 million quarterback hit, and trying to balance a contender’s roster.