The San Francisco 49ers are already well aware they do not have much longer to enjoy the luxury of having Brock Purdy on his rookie contract.

Purdy will be eligible for an extension next offseason, with his prospective new contract one that will bring to an end the 49ers having huge amounts of roster flexibility because of their quarterback being on a deal that, in 2024, counts as just 0.3 percent of their cap.

This offseason has been dominated by the 49ers' ongoing negotiations with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk over a long-term extension, talks that still appear to be no closer to securing a deal.

But, talking about Purdy's prospective contract next offseason, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport does not expect there to be much hesitation on the part of the 49ers and believes that, depending on how well his 2024 season goes, the final pick in the 2022 draft could soon be in a position to become the highest-paid player in football.

Speaking on 'The Insiders', Rapoport said:

"It seems like the 49ers have a no-brainer here. It's not like, well, are they going to extend him? Are they going to give him a big contract? He has proven that he is their franchise guy. Really, what he's doing this season is how high? And so the 49ers are going to be a team competing for everything once again. Are they able to go deep in the playoffs again? Are they able to win the Super Bowl? These are the sorts of things that can take a quarterback from getting really good money in the 50s [millions per year] to the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. It's all out there for Brock Purdy. It's really just a matter of how well does he play and how high does he drive up that price?"

Purdy going from the last pick in the draft to highest-paid player in the NFL in the space of three seasons would cement his ascension as the most remarkably rapid in league history, and the 49ers have previously indicated they are prepared to make it happen.

Indeed, owner Jed York said at this year's annual meetings that "Brock is going to ask for something that no one has ever asked for before".

Those comments indicate that the Niners expect Purdy's representatives to ask for a deal to make him the highest-paid player in the league, a distinction that is shared by Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, who each have an average annual salary of $55 million.

As such Purdy could potentially be in the conversation to be the game's first $60 million a year quarterback. 

San Francisco acquiescing to such demands and giving Purdy that honor after only two full seasons would seem absurd to many. However, if he matches his performances of 2023, with which he broke the 49ers' single-season record for passing yards and led the league in passer rating, QBR and every yards per attempt metric, San Francisco would have little wiggle room to do anything other than grant his wishes.

Added York at league meetings: "When we signed Jimmy [Garoppolo] several years ago, it was the largest deal in the history of the NFL, for three minutes. That’s what the market is and you have to accept the reality of the world. To me, the quarterback is the most important position not just in football, but all of sports, and those guys should be paid a lot of money."

Purdy has provided the 49ers with certainty at the game's most important position, something which they had lacked for far too long, having blossomed into the quarterback who can run Kyle Shanahan's offense exactly to the head coach's specifications while adding extra dimensions with his playmaking upside and downfield prowess.

For the Niners, that is a difficult thing on which to put a price. Assuming Purdy continues on his current trajectory, the eventual contract numbers will be huge. As York articulated, that is just the cost of doing business in the modern NFL and the Niners will be happy to pay it for a quarterback who appears to have all the traits needed to keep them contending for years to come. 

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He doesn’t fit what they need.