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NFL analyst Brian Baldinger sparked social media debate this week after sharing what he would do if San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy demanded top-five quarterback money.
“I’d say I go flip him for Sam Darnold right now,” Baldinger remarked during a radio interview.
Baldy on 49ers: I’d flip Purdy for Darnold right now
Baldinger explained, “[Darnold’s] bigger, stronger, more athletic. He’s bigger and stronger than what Brock is.”
The suggestion didn’t sit well with Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL analyst Kurt Warner. Laughing off the idea, Warner dismissed the notion of replacing Purdy with Darnold as nothing more than a product of recency bias.
“[The idea] just makes me laugh because what about the last two years with Brock Purdy?” Warner said during an appearance on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game.
Warner recalled a similar situation during his time with the Rams when media narratives seemed to overlook prior success following a down year. They, too, suggested a quarterback change might need to occur.
“It’s almost like that’s what we’re doing in San Francisco,” Warner said. “Let’s forget about these last two years because this year hasn’t been as good. And then the same with Sam Darnold. Let’s forget about everything else he’s done in the league because he’s been wildly inconsistent, and although he’s shown glimpses, he’s never been able to put it together.
“And now he’s having this incredible year in Minnesota, and we’re ready to say, ‘Oh, let’s flop them, and let’s take this guy because he’s having a great year,’ even though he’s never shown the ability to put two great years together back-to-back. It’s so funny how we have such recency bias on so many different things in this league instead of just trying to figure out, okay, who is this guy?”
Kurt Warner highlighted Darnold’s impressive confidence and performance this season, crediting his success to being surrounded by great talent, a strong support system, and a good head coach. However, Warner noted the quarterback’s history of inconsistency, raising the critical question: is this version of Darnold here to stay?
Warner openly admitted that he didn’t have the answer. He needs to see another season from Darnold before forming a fair assessment. Too often, Warner explained, a player shines for a single year only to fail to live up to that level of play throughout the rest of their career.
Meanwhile, Brock Purdy becomes eligible for a contract extension after Week 18. Recent reports suggest the 49ers remain committed to their young quarterback as their long-term leader.
“I’ve been told the 49ers are still planning to negotiate a multi-year contract extension with Purdy this offseason, backing up the message they’ve consistently sent: ‘Purdy is our quarterback,'” wrote The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
As the offseason quickly approaches, Purdy’s contract negotiations are poised to become the biggest storyline for the 49ers.
