Trade Brock Purdy?
By: Jake Rajala
The San Francisco 49ers young quarterback Brock Purdy has been on a bit of a roller coaster over the past few seasons. He went 5-0 as a rookie, which was one of the best rook performances across a five game span of all time. In his second season, he went 12-4. It seemed like he was going to be an All-Pro QB.
Well,
Brock went 6-9 in his third season. All hope seemed lost. John Lynch still had faith in him in the 2025 offseason. Purdy inked a contract for five years worth $265 dollars.
Purdy went 1-1 in his two starts this season. In Purdy’s two starts, he averaged 19.22 points. Well all know the story of the former Patriots QB replacing the injury-riddled Purdy. Between the three games with Jones, he’s averaged 19.4 pts
Of course, winning is everything. Interestingly, the 49ers backup, Mac Jones, is 3-0. Meanwhile, he’s getting paid $8.4 million over a course of two seasons. There is speculation whether he should take the keys away from Purdy, just as Kap once took Alex Smith’s gig.
Purdy has a PFF grade of 66.7, which is 33rd among QBs. Jones has a PFF grade of 71.1, which is 28th among QBs.
Purdy has been playing with one hand behind his back. George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk have been on IR as of late. Well, let’s still not forget that Jones has been playing with the same injury prone offense, too.
Purdy isn’t playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6. I expect him to return in 2-3 weeks. When he arrives, he should have a chip on his shoulder and a chance to separate himself from not only Jones, but every 25 year old QB.
With that all enunciated, a pivotal, fascinating surrounds Purdy: Should a Brock Purdy owner trade away Purdy?
I would hold him.
Purdy doesn’t have reliable weapons at the moment. He also sits in a division (NFC West) that arguably has three quality playoff bound teams (with the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers). Furthermore, it’s blatantly difficult to move the ball on these foes. The Cardinals are fourth in PPG allowed. the Seahawks are 11th in PPG allowed, and the Rams are 13th in PPG allowed.
They made a bold move to move away the swiss, army, knife Deebo Samuel. He is playing lights out in Washington. Well, the new WR1 Brandon Aiyuk, hasn’t been that reliable. He only played in several games in 2024 and he hasn’t played any games this seasons. Ouch.
The former Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey is also second in rushing attempts in the league. This clearly means the offense goes through him. They have big All-Pro LT Trent Williams leading the way for the former Offensive Player of The Year.
So, what is the value of Purdy? I wouldn’t accept a first rounder for him. I’d be interested in accepting a first and “second” round pick for him. That would be ideal. In a deep league, it may be very hard to replace him, so I’d consider trading Purdy for a middle of the pack QB with a second round pick.
Ultimately, Purdy is too young to trade him away, without a lot of stock. His Pro Bowl season isn’t too far in his rearview mirror. They drafted Ricky Pearsall to be a Pro Bowler. I expect the 49ers to add more ammunition for him in 2026. I’d also like to see Brock play with Aiyuk and Kittle healthy again.
I wouldn’t worry too much about Jones playing so well and the effect it could have on Purdy. There is too small of a sample size with Jones in the 49ers offense. It’s also safe to say Purdy has proven to be the QB1 in the offseason, otherwise Jones would have the keys to the offense.
I also love the wiz Kyle Shanahan. He is the true x-factor in San Francisco. He doesn’t only have elite toys on offense, but he has Robert Saleh back on defense. Of course, they also have Fred Warner and Nick Bosa (in the long-term).
As it stands, the 49ers are arguably the best NFL team. There is no longer any undefeated teams. The 49ers sit at 4-1. They have notable wins against the LA Rams, Seatle Seahawks, and their division foe in Arizona. It’s impressive and relieving that three of their four wins have come against division foes.
As I really touched on Jones’s impact on the offense, the question is: should a dynasty owner scoop him up? I believe it’s too risky for someone to acquire him. He could very well stay in SF as a backup, or he could try to start for a poor team. We’ve already seen how he performs with a putrid roster, which wasn’t daunting.
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