SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers began laying the path to quarterback Brock Purdy becoming the highest-paid player in franchise history roughly four years before it happened.
In the 2021 offseason, the Niners decided quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was not in their long-term plans -- just three years after they made him the league's highest paid player ($27.5 million per year).
General manager John Lynch told ESPN last week that he and coach Kyle Shanahan combed through three-year projections from executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe, assistant general manager Brian Hampton and their staffs, showing them that the quarterback market was about to explode.