49ers’ George Kittle offers help to Brock Purdy amid new NFL experience

For the first time since the San Francisco 49ers made quarterback Brock Purdy the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, he is eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason. 

49ers tight end George Kittle recently received a four-year, $76.4M extension with $40M guaranteed from what’s been his only NFL home since he entered the league via the 2017 draft. He spoke with Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area about offering Purdy support through what can sometimes be a frustrating process for a pro athlete. 

“Just trying to help him out as best I can without ever trying to overstep,” Kittle said about conversations he’s had with Purdy. “Because he’s an adult and he knows what he wants to do with his life, but if I can help with a little guidance here and there, I try my best.” 

Shortly after it was reported that Purdy and the 49ers were closer to coming to terms on a deal than some thought, Mike Jones of The Athletic and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested the 25-year-old could have around $50M-$55M per season attached to his new deal. While Purdy is still in the final year
of his inexpensive rookie contract, he seemed to say plenty about the state of negotiations with the Niners when he reported for the voluntary portion of the club’s offseason program.

“I’m happy that we don’t have a bunch of guys holding out for contracts,” Kittle explained. “I’m glad that we are not having a super drama-filled offseason. …When you have everybody in the building or the majority of the guys in the building, just the energy in the locker room is fantastic, the weight room is awesome, guys are working really hard.”

According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport indicated during a Monday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that Purdy and the 49ers should want to get the extension done before the club’s mandatory minicamp gets underway on June 10. It’s unclear if Purdy would report but not participate in on-field activities if he doesn’t ink an extension.

“His being around, getting to meet everybody, is just good for our team chemistry,” Kittle added. 

That’s all well and good, but history shows Purdy’s camp may soon advise him to stay away from the 49ers’ facility until a signed extension becomes a reality.