Getty San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan

The San Francisco 49ers know the importance of taking risks, but that doesn’t mean those gambles always payout. For every slam-dunk success like the trade for RB Christian McCaffrey, there are also misses like the signing of Javon Hargrave.

Fans shouldn’t be too quick to bury Hargrave, though, as he has only finished his first season in San Francisco. However, SI.com’s Gilberto Manzano believes that Hargrave is the worst free agency signing of 2023.

“The 49ers likely expected more from Hargrave, who signed one of the most lucrative contracts of last offseason,” Manzano wrote on March 6. “Hargrave had a dominant 2022 season during his last year in Philadelphia, but the 49ers’ decision to add him was a gamble since he was on the wrong side of 30.”

While Manzano has a point, Hargrave was far from a liability in 2023. Where his point lives though is that Hargrave should’ve been at the peak of his powers in 2023. Instead, he regressed from his 2022 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Considering the plethora of talent lining up next to him, it isn’t a positive sign.

Now, San Francisco will likely look for an improvement. But saying Hargrave was a flop in 2023 feels like an exagerration.

Hargrave Goes from Steelers to Eagles to 49ers

While some players burst onto the scene as rookies, Hargrave is the definition of a “slow burn.” After being drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hargrave earned just 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss over his first two seasons.

2018 marked a significant upturn in pass-rushing effectiveness, as Hargrave totaled 6.5 sacks and added a swatted pass. After a decent 2019 (4 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 forced fumble,) the South Carolina St. product left Pittsburgh for the Eagles in free agency.

Over his three seasons in Philadelphia, Hargrave properly introduced himself to national audiences. He upped his sack total in each season, but exploded for 11 sacks and a forced fumble in 2022.

And as mentioned above, Hargrave regressed in 2023 but he was far from ineffective. He racked up 7 sacks, the third-highest season total of his career. He also added two PDs and 8 tackles for loss.

Hargrave’s Deal Only Gets More Expensive

The only reason why there should be concern about Hargrave’s contract is his age. If his best years are behind him, then the contract San Francisco gave him could age very poorly.

According to Spotrac, Hargrave’s $84 million deal is back-loaded, meaning that it will pay far more as time goes on. In fact, Hargrave only counted as a $6.62 million cap hit in 2023 due to his $23 million signing bonus being spread out over the four-year deal.

In 2024, Hargrave’s salary jumps to $8.89 million and he will count as a $15.4 million cap hit. His future salaries in 2025 and 2026 are eye-watering, as he will be set to make $19.9 and $21.7 million respectively.

But as expensive as that seems, only his 2024 salary is guaranteed. If Hargrave doesn’t step it up, the 49ers can bail and cut him next offseason. San Francisco would have to swallow $18.6 million in dead cap, but that taken cap space would be spread out over the next 5 years.

Despite MVP, Super Bowl, NFL Coaches Admit They Disrespect Brock Purdy

Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the start of the game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

In a bombshell interview with DNVR Sports, James Palmer of the NFL Network said that multiple NFL Coaches told him that the 49ers would have won multiple Super Bowls had they drafted Mac Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft, a shot indirectly at current quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy, who has led the 49ers to the NFC Championship in 2022 and the Super Bowl this past season, has led the 49ers to an NFL-leading 24-7 record during the span he started.

Despite this, according to the report, many NFL coaches have said anonymously that if Brock Purdy was replaced by Mac Jones, the 49ers, not the Chiefs, would probably hold back-to-back Lombardi trophies. This might be a somewhat accepted argument if we were talking about another quarterback, such as Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, or even Trevor Lawrence, but Mac Jones? That seems a bit startling.

Mac Jones’ Statistics

Dec 1, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) returns to the sideline as they take on the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

NFL coaches are smart; if the report is true, there must be a reason behind it. However, looking at Mac Jones’ stats it is still startling. This past season, Jones went 2-9 overall and only led his offense to more than 17 points twice. They scored less than ten points in four games, including three games where the team didn’t even score a touchdown.

Mac Jones played better his first two seasons in 2021 and 2022, but even then, he has never gotten to leading his team anywhere near the Super Bowl. He’s only played in a postseason game, which the team lost, and he threw two interceptions.

Granted, the Patriots do not have an excellent supporting cast around Mac Jones, while Purdy certainly has had all the help he could ask for, including an incredible defense that takes off a lot of pressure. However, for coaches to believe that a 2-9 quarterback would be better than a 14-5 quarterback during the same period still seems crazy.

Brock Purdy Fits the 49ers

Sometimes a QB fit is more than just talent. From a raw talent standpoint, Mac Jones may be a better quarterback than Brock Purdy. Maybe he can throw further, run faster, and be a bit quicker on reads than Purdy, but a pure skillset isn’t everything.

Something must be said about fitting within a scheme and winning over a locker room. Purdy fits the 49ers offense and their scheme perfectly, and there may not be many other quarterbacks who would be able to come in and have the same kind of success that Purdy has had.

Conclusion

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s impossible to know whether these reports are accurate, but the source has a pretty good reputation (although also a bit extreme). No matter how the stats are looked at, it’s tough to understand how NFL coaches look at Brock Purdy and Mac Jones and believe Jones is the better quarterback. Maybe that’s why they are the head coaches and are paid to evaluate talent from a different perspective.