Brock Purdy proved himself NFL-worthy when almost no one believed in him. A 262nd—dead last—pick in the 2022 draft. And more than anything else, it was a chance offer for the 23-year-old to start for the 49ers, considering both starter and backup QB went down with season-threatening injuries the same year. GM John Lynch wouldn’t flinch on keeping Purdy, and quite understandably so. We all know what Purdy did for San Francisco, including their long-waited Super Bowl appearance in the 2023 season. “What we know about Brock is, he’s our guy,” Lynch said in January after the season ended. “We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time.” But could there be a shift in San Francisco’s plans? Because Lynch may want a tough guy as his quarterback.

Back in Dec 2024, when the 49ers clashed against the Rams, Lynch was full of praise for the Rams QB Matthew Stafford, so much so that the 49ers GM believes that you have to play four quarters versus a Matthew Stafford-led team to beat him. “The toughness, above all else… He can get hit and knocked down, but he just keeps coming,” Lynch was fanboying over Stafford’s arm angles and no-look passes. Could this be understood as a subtle hint that the 49ers are open to shifting gears from a rising star to a seasoned veteran? Well, SI’s Grant Cohn thinks there’s merit to a Stafford-over-Purdy narrative.

You see, Brock Purdy’s contract is set to expire next season. Adding more fuel to the fire, Grant Cohn suggested that the Niners should go all-in for Stafford to give their aging core a chance at a Super Bowl win. But how much credit do we give to these speculations? Let’s not forget what Brock Purdy has done for this franchise—and what he’s still capable of. When the 49ers traded away their first-round picks for 2021, 2022, and 2023, along with a third-round pick in 2021, just to move from 11th to 3rd and draft a 21-year-old Trey Lance—only to part ways with him last season—it was Purdy who emerged as the unexpected hero. Amid all the chaos, he became the steady hand San Francisco desperately needed. So, if anyone still thinks the 49ers are seriously weighing a Stafford-over-Purdy move, they might want to rethink that.

On the flip side, after a poor 2024 season, 12-year veteran Matthew Stafford is kicking in to find a team where he could be traded. The 37-year-old quarterback wishes to re-sign with the Rams solely, but there is no decision yet since Los Angeles—a franchise worth $7.6 billion—is not aiming to sign Stafford due to his age, but rather go for a young quarterback. Well, the Rams want a long-term answer, not just a quick Super Bowl victory. The team planned to select Bo Nix in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft. But unfortunately, they never had the opportunity to do that, and Purdy could fit like a zigsaw puzzle.