Brock Purdy signed a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason. However, that didn’t stop speculation about his future after lengthy discussions between the two sides regarding a deal. The curious part is how Purdy continues to be involved in trade talks.
He’s now being discussed in a possible swap with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who recently implied that he isn’t currently having fun playing football. Former quarterback Kurt Warner addressed the possibility of a trade.
Should The 49ers Consider Trading Brock Purdy If Joe Burrow Becomes Available?
Warner, a former Super Bowl MVP, was asked about his opinion on a possible Purdy-Burrow swap after the comments of the Bengals’ quarterback during a press conference.
Warner, who now works as an analyst, stated that he’s a fan of Brock Purdy. But he couldn’t deny that Burrow is a superior quarterback and “brings more to the table”.
“You know I love Brock Purdy and I think Brock’s really good, but I also do believe Joe is better than Brock is and brings more to the table. If that were the case you’d probably have 28 teams in the league that would say Joe Burrow would be an upgrade at the quarterback spot. That’s not a knock any of these other guys. It’s just Joe is one of the special ones,” Warner said.
Kurt Warner was asked if Joe Burrow wants out of Cincinnati, should the 49ers trade for him:
“That’s a tough question. You know I love Brock Purdy and I think Brock’s really good, but I also do believe Joe is better than Brock is and brings more to the table. If that were the… pic.twitter.com/BLkUZPvHRt
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) December 12, 2025
To say that Burrow is a better quarterback is not a knock on Purdy, who’s also a very good passer. However, there’s a reason that the Bengals have treated their quarterback as a golden ticket since the 2020 draft. He quickly established himself as a star in the league, driving Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in just his second year.
Even though Purdy did the same in 2023, no one disagrees with the notion that he was more of a game-manager in Shanahan’s system, which relied heavily on Christian McCaffrey that season. Burrow, on the other hand, was the driving force behind the Bengals’ 2021 run.
It’s likely that only Purdy will be present in the playoffs. The 49ers currently have a 9-4 record, and even if they miss out on the NFC West title, they’re likely to earn a Wild Card berth. But this can be explained by their teams. The Bengals are currently ranked as No. 32 in our PFSN Defense Impact Metric, the worst unit in the league.
The 49ers, on the other hand, currently sit at No. 24. If Burrow had a better defense and had he managed to stay healthy in 2025, he would also arguably be in the playoff picture.