The serious bean counting is over with the 49ers reportedly coming to agreement on a three-year contract extension with linebacker Fred Warner.
Brock Purdy got the drama-free offseason he desired to the tune of a reported maximum of five years and $265 million. George Kittle received a new deal befitting his status as the best player in the NFL at his position and a future Hall of Famer.
Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams are healthy and got their deals in place last season. Deommodore Lenoir got his bag o’ cash last November, when the 49ers wisely locked him up before the price skyrocketed past the five years and maximum of $92 million he reportedly received.
There’s a new draft class that, on its face, looks intriguing, although you never truly know whether making a major contribution is realistic until the regular season is underway. Last year’s draft class was one of the few bright spots in a dismal 2024 season that ended in a 1-7 tailspin.
So all is right with the world. Or at least the 49ers’ corner of the world. The bummer summer of a year ago has receded into the background.
Time to separate fact from fiction with organized team activities looming on May 28.
Fact: Coach Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were telling the truth
There’s a segment of the media and fan base that has looked askance at Shanahan ever since he said “Brock’s the real deal” in his rookie year. And wondered if Lynch was on the level when not only he but owner Jed York said they were arranging their roster in a way that would accommodate a Purdy mega-deal.
And why not? Purdy saved the jobs of Shanahan and Lynch after it became clear Trey Lance was in no way qualified to be the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Fiction: Purdy’s deal will hamstring the 49ers when it comes to a supporting cast
Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel pointed out on the Fox Sports studio show “The Facility” that Purdy’s deal accounts for 18.98 percent of the salary cap — 14th overall among quarterbacks. Unless you’re of the opinion that Purdy is not one of the best 14 quarterbacks in the NFL, that’s a good deal and leaves plenty of room for roster maneuverability.
There are still moves the 49ers can make should they desire. They’re not “cap-strapped,” which is mostly an excuse teams use when they don’t want to spend money.
Christian McCaffrey (23) breaks loose against Buffalo before a PCL strain ended his season that night on Dec. 1. Getty Images
Fact: Think Purdy is overpaid? Underpaid? Get over it
As long as Purdy’s contract doesn’t cause a ripple effect on the roster financially — and it doesn’t — the obsession with how much money he is making is a wasted exercise.
The answer to how much an athlete is worth is pretty basic. An athlete is worth whatever a team is willing to pay. End of story.
Fiction: Purdy’s no-trade clause ties him to the 49ers for the length of the deal
No-trade clauses doesn’t mean there can’t be a trade. All Purdy would have to do is say yes. It’s simply another negotiating chip. If things went south and the 49ers wanted to trade Purdy, he’d surely accept a deal as long as it put some more money in his pocket either through a deal or a restructured contract with a new team. Players don’t stay where they’re not wanted.
Fact: McCaffrey needs to be at peak form for Purdy to be at peak form
With apologies to second-year running back Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James, one of the biggest keys to getting Purdy back to his 2022-23 form is a rebound season for McCaffrey.
McCaffrey’s season was torpedoed by a mysterious bilateral Achilles tendinitis condition that even he doesn’t seem to understand, and then a PCL strain when he was finally looking like himself. Maybe the 49ers throw McCaffrey the ball a little more and run him a little less, but there’s a decent chance he can return to form.
For all the time McCaffrey missed with the Carolina Panthers and recently with the 49ers, he’s avoided major surgical procedures. No Achilles or ACL tears. He’s the closest thing to a Steph Curry presence in terms of his sphere of influence on others, and Purdy benefits most of all.
Fiction: The 49ers roster purge has left them bereft of talent to recapture the NFC West
The 49ers were a 6-11 team a year ago and it wasn’t all because of injuries. The players they lost in almost every instance, whether via free agency or outright release, were expected losses.
The draft additions of Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and D.J. West will be an upgrade over Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and whoever else the 49ers trotted out along with Nick Bosa.
Shanahan and Lynch are simply giving lip service to the dearly departed when they talk about all that they lost. They made calculated business decisions based on health outlook and performance. They wanted to get younger around Purdy, McCaffrey, Williams, Kittle, Bosa, Warner and Lenoir. That’s a seven-player foundation that is playoff worthy provided the coaching staff does its job developing players over the last two drafts.
Shanahan and Lynch reportedly made a last-ditch effort to bring back linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who probably did them a favor by taking a reset in Denver based on a cold analysis of his health history and his fearless and inspirational style of play. But inspiration doesn’t count for much on the injured list.
DraftKings Sportsbook even favors the 49ers over the Rams in the divisional race.
Fact: A last-place schedule is no guarantee of success
After the 2022 and 2023 seasons, how many teams do you think looked at their schedule in 2024 and figured the 49ers would be one of their toughest games?
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All of them.
Fact is, they weren’t tough on opponents, especially in the second half of the season.
Teams expected to be also-rans become surprise contenders every year at about the same rate as those expected to have championship aspirations are brought down by injuries, coaching or a roster that simply isn’t fit together properly.
You want to see a classic Shanahan sneer? Continually bring up the 49ers’ “easy” schedule. He knows better.
Fiction: The 49ers will move on from place kicker Jake Moody
If Moody comes back healthy and has a good training camp, he’ll retain the job over newly signed Greg Joseph. Joseph is a veteran fallback in case Moody implodes. It probably wasn’t the greatest of ideas to rush Moody back after just three games with a high ankle sprain on his kicking foot.