The 49ers have been going through a tumultuous phase. After an unsuccessful 6–11 season that fell far short of their Super Bowl aspirations, 49ers GM John Lynch is focused on building a strong roster for the 2025 season. Amidst this, many key players have left through free agency, trades, or releases. However, QB Brock Purdy’s massive contract extension negotiations have become the talk of the town. With FOX Sports NFL reporter Jordan Schultz hinting that Purdy’s new contract could be between $50–55 million AAV, ex-NFLer T.J. Houshmandzadeh has condemned John Lynch for not following proper protocols.

During the daily sports show Speak, hosted by Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson, and Paul Pierce, former NFL WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh shared his opinion on what would be a reasonable deal for Purdy. Speak’s official X handle highlighted his assessment: “@housh84: If I’m John Lynch & the 49ers, I’m not paying Brock Purdy $50-$55M… My max is $47M a year.” The former Seahawks player stated that if he were in Lynch’s position, he would not pay Purdy the numbers being projected, capping out at $47M a year.

The former Bengals seventh-round pick from the 2001 NFL Draft also provided a strong rationale for his stance. “I’m not giving Brock Purdy 50 to 55 million a year. I’m not gonna do it because last year, when we had our horses out, one and six against playoff teams when we needed them to carry it. He couldn’t. That’s what you got.”

T.J. called out the 49ers for backtracking from their statements that they’d break from their traditional approach to contracts. “We are going to change the way we do these contracts. Did they not say this? And so, whatever y’all have in mind, stay true to what you said because this is what y’all told the public. Stay true to that,” he added. He also warned the GM, saying, “Don’t start changing now. That uh, oh, you feel like Bosa got over. Oh, you feel like—don’t let Purdy get over,” he explained.

Beyond calling out the 49ers GM for not adhering to their own protocols, the former NFL WR also warned Lynch about the potential mistake of offering Purdy a $51 million deal.

Former NFL WR’s warning to John Lynch over $51M mistake

Aside from discussing Purdy’s contract extension, the ex-Ravens WR also pointed to the 49ers‘ GM while referencing Jalen Hurts’ massive deal. Hurts, 26, is currently the 10th-highest-paid QB in the NFL, earning an average annual salary of $51 million. He signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension with the Eagles. “Jalen Hurts is at 51. I’m not giving you 50. 47, that’s what I’m gonna do,” the former Raiders player stated.

Undoubtedly, Hurts led the Eagles to a 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Impressively, he was named Super Bowl MVP as well. Purdy, however, has yet to win a Super Bowl. Citing these facts, T.J., 47, made it clear: “I’m not giving Brock Purdy more than Jalen Hurts.”

Houshmandzadeh also referenced the contract of Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, who is the 11th-highest-paid quarterback in the league. Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals on July 21, 2022. His contract runs through the 2028 season, with an average annual value of $46.1 million.

Houshmandzadeh’s statement came shortly after Lynch clarified that the 49ers would be spending less money. Yet, the massive contract discussions remain a hot topic. As reported by Sports Illustrated on March 11, Lynch addressed the situation in an interview on NBC Sports Bay Area. “Going into the fourth year, I think we’re the fourth-highest cash-spending team, so at some point, you have to reset a little bit or at least recalibrate,” Lynch remarked.

The 49ers have already made significant roster moves, trading WR Deebo Samuel, safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and cornerback Charvarius Ward. They also released fullback Kyle Juszczyk (briefly), DT Javon Hargrave, and DE Leonard Floyd. Undoubtedly, these moves are part of a broader effort to make room for quarterback Brock Purdy’s upcoming contract extension.

As Purdy enters the 2025 season in the final year of his rookie deal, all eyes are on whether the 49ers will break the bank for their signal-caller—or stick to their financial principles.