49ers get glimpse of what their offensive future could be after Brock Purdy extension, and it's very exciting
Despite failing to match the heights of his incredible second season in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers are still very likely to make Brock Purdy one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks this offseason. His contract extension will have a big impact on the 49ers' roster, and their offense may look very different from a […]
Despite failing to match the heights of his incredible second season in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers are still very likely to make Brock Purdy one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks this offseason.
His contract extension will have a big impact on the 49ers' roster, and their offense may look very different from a personnel standpoint if they are forced to make Deebo Samuel a cap casualty.
But, as they demonstrated in Sunday's blowout win over the Chicago Bears, different does not necessarily have to mean bad.
The 49ers could save over $5.2 million by designating Samuel as a post-June 1 cut/trade, per Over The Cap. That's not a massive amount, but in an offseason in which the 49ers may need to make a lot of moves to restructure a roster that has more holes than many thought while also paying Purdy, it could be extremely useful space.
Samuel was one of the few 49ers players the Bears defended relatively well as the Niners cruised to a 38-13 victory over Chicago to keep their playoff hopes alive at 6-7.
His impact has been considerably less pronounced in 2024 as the 49ers have struggled by their extremely high standards, with the season-ending injury to Brandon Aiyuk and the loss of his gravity not helping Samuel's cause.
If the 49ers do decide to move on from Samuel then, with Aiyuk's return date from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus damage very much up in the air, the passing game will revolve around All-Pro tight end George Kittle and Jauan Jennings.
Kittle, who like Samuel is a free agent in 2026, could have been considered another 2025 cap casualty candidate before season, but he has underlined his importance with another spectacular campaign. With 151 yards against Chicago, Kittle became only the third tight end in NFL history to record 500 receptions and 7,000 receiving yards in his first eight seasons. The exalted company he is keeping: Antonio Gates and Travis Kelce.
The Bears did little to try to slow him down, with the 49ers' ground game churning away efficiently, San Francisco diced up Chicago with play-action, with Kittle the primary beneficiary.
Jennings also profited significantly, catching seven of his eight targets for 90 yards and two touchdowns, the Bears showing a complete inability to defend him over the middle of the field regardless of the coverage they played.
Against a very accommodating defense, this was vintage Kyle Shanahan football from a 49er attack that has played a markedly different brand of offense for much of the season, with Brock Purdy forced to make high difficulty throws in the dropback game, often from the shotgun.
This victory saw the 49ers mash the easy buttons with heavy doses of under center play-action, and the result was Purdy going 20 for 25 for 325 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Purdy averaged 0.76 Expected Points Added per attempt, a metric in which the league-high average heading into Sunday was 0.283.
Those buttons were available to Purdy without Aiyuk's ability to create separation at all three levels and without the passing game impact of the injured Christian McCaffrey, albeit rookie Isaac Guerendo impressed in that area with two catches for 50 yards.
Kittle and Jennings were the undisputed focal points and, if Samuel is moved on and Aiyuk is not back, they and McCaffrey will likely be the main passing game weapons for this offense in 2025.
San Francisco could make moves in free agency and the draft to give Purdy more weapons. However, of the players that right now look sure to be on the 49er offense in Week 1 next season, Kittle and Jennings are the two with whom he has the greatest rapport.
Having that pair as the primary weapons throwing the ball might be seen as a step down from where the 49ers were before this season but, if that is to be their future from a passing game perspective in the post-Purdy extension world, the Niners proved against Chicago that it can still be a very bright one.
George Kittle makes yet more history with monster first half as 49ers dominate against Bears
He’s joined an exclusive club.
