San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York said a big reason the team parted ways with 17 players from last year’s 53-man roster was because they have to prioritize re-signing quarterback Brock Purdy this off-season.
“It’s just a math thing,” York said on Tuesday at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting. “When you sit down with your guys and figure out where do you want to go, what do you want to build, and you make the decision that you want to pay a quarterback that has obviously been underpaid for his first three seasons in the NFL. When you make that change, you have to make sacrifices somewhere. It’s a decision that we made collectively, and we’re hoping that we make somebody the highest-paid player in the history of our franchise.”
“It’s a decision that we made – I can’t tell you exactly when – midway through the season. We want to make sure Brock [Purdy] is here for a long time,” he continued. “You can’t pay somebody quarterback money and have all of the other talent around the way we have. Now, you have to start filling that piece with the draft.”
“I don’t see Brock Purdy making north of $55M
Obviously the 49ers want to sign him and I’m curious to see what the number is” ~ @PSchrags #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4nyqXaxFFW
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 1, 2025
Not only did the 49ers lose numerous key contributors, but they were also one of the lowest spenders during the 2025 off-season, signing only nine new players to the roster. When questioned if he’s “cheap,” York responded by saying that he had been called worse.
“Look, I get it. Fans care. You want to win. And when you’re in a world where everybody is watching the NFL the first week of free agency or at least the first three days of free agency, it’s a frenzy,” he explained. “When you’re not overly active in that space, it gets easy to say, ‘Oh, you don’t want to win.'”
York added that they didn’t see any free agents that were more valuable to the team than Brock Purdy.
“I don’t know that, as we looked at the board, that there was somebody that we felt made that type of an impact more so than making the decision to try to go pay Brock,” he said. “We have the ability to continue to supplement our team by having somebody at the most important position for a long time.”
The 49ers are putting a lot of stock in Brock Purdy’s ability to perform. That shouldn’t be a problem, though, according to York, who sees Purdy as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Excellent news today regarding Brock’s extension, but nothing has officially been done yet
So until then here is Day 6 of a Brock Purdy highlight until he gets paid: pic.twitter.com/XrANrwdEGZ
— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) March 31, 2025
“Ultimately, you need to find that quarterback that can be there for a long period of time,” he said. “When you find somebody that is a top-ten quarterback, that can help you continually win football games, you have to make that decision. And if you do that, it just comes with consequences.”
When questioned if he thinks Purdy is a top-ten quarterback in the NFL, York replied, “I think he is. I think he’s great.”
“He’s special when you combine him with Kyle [Shanahan], and you combine him with what we have. He’s a heck of a quarterback,” he clarified. “I have every hope and every expectation that Brock is going to be a 49er for a long, long time.”
