49ers loosely linked to $180 million 4-time Pro Bowler to replace Brock Purdy

Are the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy headed for a breakup?

Most of Purdy's career to this point has been a fairytale, going from the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to an NFC champion and Pro Bowler in 2023. The 2024 season hasn't gone according to plan, though, and more importantly, the 49ers are getting close to an important decision.

This winter, Purdy will be eligible for an extension, and if he doesn't get it, the possibility that he will walk after year four seems far more plausible. The going rate for QB extensions these days seems to be a minimum of $50 million per year, which could sink the 49ers if Purdy doesn't continue producing.

Elsewhere in the NFL, Kirk Cousins was recently benched by the Atlanta Falcons for rookie Michael Penix Jr. After signing a four-year, $180 million deal with Cousins, it appears the Falcons will cut him this spring and eat $90 million in dead cap.

John Buhler of FanSided named the 49ers as a top destination for Cousins once he is released from his Falcons contract, potentially to take over the starting job from Purdy.

"This all comes down to how the San Francisco 49ers' brass feels about Brock Purdy," Buhler said. "The third-year pro out of Iowa State has been good, but not great during his NFL career thus far."

"Cousins knows the Shanahan system and would be one year removed from having his torn Achilles surgically repaired. I like the upside of this signing, but if it fails, Shanahan will be fired."

What makes such a deal unlikely is how much Cousins appeared to age in his recovery from the injury. He was far stiffer and less mobile than he had been at any point in his career, and at age 37, one can't expect the athleticism to return.

Fortunately, there would be no harm in the 49ers tendering Cousins a minimal contract, assuming there aren't other suitors to compete with. Similar to how Russell Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh this season alongside Justin Fields, the 49ers could bring in Cousins to incite some competition.

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