Shannon Sharpe credits $265,000,000 QB Brock Purdy for saving 49ers front office after costly Trey Lance gamble

Brock Purdy finally affirmed his long-term commitment to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday, signing a five-year, $265-million contract extension. And Shannon Sharpe likes the maneuver and what it means for the franchise's front office under general manager John Lynch.

Speaking on Sunday's episode of Nightcap, the Hall of Fame tight end insinuated that it represented redemption from the saga of 2021 draft bust Trey Lance (from 02:20 in the video below):

"He's probably worth more because he saved Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch's job, because they invested all that money in Trey Lance. They gave up all that draft capital to get Trey Lance. They took this man as Mr. Irrelvant in the last pick, in the seventh round."

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated's Jose Luis Sanchez III expressed his satisfaction and relief at seeing a "perfect deal" that he had been predicting finally manifest at the right time:

"Arguably, the best part of this deal is the 49ers getting it done in May. They didn't drag it on and finalize it in August to distract them in training camp. Kudos to both parties for getting it done."

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Brock Purdy faces pressure to return 49ers to contention after $265-million deal

With his financial position secured, Brock Purdy now has a new goal: return the 49ers to the playoffs, maybe even deeper. But he will do so with a significantly revamped cast.

While most of the team's departures have been on defense, like Pro Bowlers Javon Hargrave, Charvarius Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga, the most crucial loss has been dual-threat wideout Deebo Samuel, who has been traded to the Washington Commanders. That leaves him with Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and Ricky Pearsall, as his primary wideout core.

But it is not just the roster: for the first time as a pro, he will be playing with a true-blue offensive coordinator in Klay Kubiak.

And for USA Today's Nate Davis, all this ovehauling means 2025 is a crucial time to prove that Purdy is more than a Jeff Garcia, Alex Smith, or Colin Kaepernick - men who just could not quite crack the upper echelon:

"It is time for him to show he can propel this franchise – one that hasn’t won a championship in 30 years. He needs to be a leader on a squad still breaking in quite a few greenhorns. He’s now the youngest, richest quarterback in what could be the league’s toughest division – and it’s just as easy to foresee the 49ers finishing fourth as first."

The 49ers kick off their season on September 7 at the Seattle Seahawks. Kickoff is at 4:05 pm ET on Fox.