Today marks the deadline of the NFL roster cut, and god knows the pressure on head coaches, especially Kyle Shanahan. But this pressure is nothing compared to his situation earlier in the spring. Sitting idle, he watched as players—who may not be the cornerstone but contributed immensely to the team—walked through the Niners’ door. Some of those names are Jordan Mason, Talanoa Hufanga, and even Dre Greenlaw. It wasn’t easy, but he made a choice picking Brock Purdy above all. But what does the QB have to do with this?

Well, if you remember, the 49ers had been flirting with extension talks since 2023—Purdy’s breakout season. This March, he finally proposed, and it was just as big as Georgina Rodríguez’s engagement ring that broke the internet. With a whopping $265 million, the Niners made him the seventh-highest quarterback in the league. So, of course, he said Yes! The only difference was unlike Ronaldo, the proposal left the Niners broke. Or borderline broke. 

Now, the twist in the story is that, up until now, we were all under the impression that the HC had no regrets offering such a lucrative sum to the QB. Not really! In a conversation with Albert Breer, Shanahan took an unfiltered approach and revealed how he still regrets losing key players in forced roster decisions this year in the spring. 

“[It] was so tough for me personally as a coach,” he told Breer of Sports Illustrated. “Having to really sit there and watch someone like Dre Greenlaw leave, someone like ‘Huff’ [Talanoa Hufanga] leave, not being able to afford [Jordan] J.P. Mason. These are really good players, really good people.” All to keep Purdy! And who did they get in return? Young players, full of energy, but short on experience. Of course, the Niners are known for drafting and developing, but this time, the scrutiny would be over the top. 

This has not only intensified the pressure on the formerly known Mr. Irrelevant, but also put many rookies, including linebacker Nick Martin, rookie Upton Stout, DTs Alfred Collins and CJ West, and DE Mykel Williams first line. While that is their, the Niners still have their core together, who led them to Super Bowl LIV and LVIII. The only problem is their growing debt in keeping this lineup of Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and Trent Williams, among others, together. On top of that, the HC also faces an injury crisis with Aiyuk, Jordan Watskins, Juan Jennings, and Jacob Cowing still in rehab. But that’s still better than last season when the majority of their stars were queued in rehab—and the only guy on the field was Purdy. 

Without the offensive force behind him like in 2024, the quarterback struggled a lot last season. He was after the big plays, the burden of carrying the team upon his shoulder. At one point, he realized, “I was losing sight of, ‘Bro, keep every play as simple as possible, and don’t complicate it.’ And you will get back if you do your job the right way, every single drive for four quarters, and you win the game.” That’s a pretty good realization before entering a new season. And since he had enough time, the 25-year-old spent the whole summer working tight-knit with OC Klay Kubiak and QB coach Mick Lombardi. 

Instead of “trying to do too much,” he pressed the reset button. He worked through full-field reads and made sure his footwork stayed married to the scheme. And the results were there. His opening drive of the preseason was exceptionally better and improved compared to his 2024 season-opener. The best part? They are entering the 2025 season with a winning streak. So perhaps the deal was actually worth it. 

Brock Purdy learns a strong lesson 

The Niners may have concluded 2024 at the bottom NFC West with a 6-11 record, but the young signal-caller certainly got something in return. A lesson, as he says. After the success of the 2023 campaign, Purdy thought he had cracked the code for success—making big plays and making every play count. But as he crumbled on the field, he learned something valuable, which he believes would only help him get better. 

Expressing his frustration with how Super Bowl LVIII ended, Purdy put all his efforts into getting back there. “That’s all I saw, was getting back. And because some of those guys are out, I have to go make plays to get us back.” But he realized very late that all he had to do was his job, and it would naturally take him back to that glory, and perhaps, this time, he could make it count. 

“You will get back if you do your job the right way, every single drive for four quarters, and you win the game,” added the quarterback. Although his stats from last season weren’t bad, he couldn’t bring as many victories as he thought he could. Yet, Shanahan and the likes of it, the entire franchise believes: “Brock’s the one who I think will play better.” Maybe they’re right. With many of the All-Pros returned to the starting lineup, it surely would be fun to witness how Purdy would utilize the next season, which he calls an “opportunity.”