And so begins the national and regional obsession with the 49ers and how much they will pay Brock Purdy to be their quarterback now and into the future.

There are no playoffs or Super Bowl for the 49ers this year, with their news cycle dominated instead by conjecture over how many zeroes to put at the end of a contract extension for the quarterback who fell into their lap in 2022.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch and ownership have been here before when it comes to mega-deals. The 49ers haven’t been afraid to pay the going rate and then some.

At their season-ending press conference, Shanahan declared, “I plan on Brock being here the whole time I’m here,” and Lynch said, “We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time,” which on its face would seem to be an odd way of driving the price down.

Purdy staked out his position the same day, hoping to avoid drama and get a deal done in time to be involved in the offseason program while stopping short of saying he’d participate without an extension. He’ll get his contract, eventually with an APY (average per year) ranging anywhere from $40 million to the $60 million Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott receives as the NFL’s highest-paid player.

Coming off a 6-11 season, the 49ers are now looking back at three contracts that so far have had the effect of an exploding cigar:

• Last June, running back and NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey signed a two-year extension worth $38 million, keeping him the highest-paid running back in the NFL. Beset by bilateral Achilles tendinitis and eventually a PCL strain, McCaffrey played in four games, carried 50 times for 202 yards, caught 15 passes for 146 yards and didn’t score a touchdown.

• On Aug. 29, Brandon Aiyuk finally signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension after vacillating on whether to be traded or remain a 49er. Aiyuk started slowly with no training camp, and tore his ACL in Week 7 having caught 25 passes for 374 yards and no touchdowns.

• On Sept. 3, holdout and Hall of Fame-bound left tackle Trent Williams signed a three-year extension worth $82.6 million to push him to the top of his position group. Williams played in 10 games, and not up to his usual standard, before going on injured reserve for a deep bone bruise in his ankle.

McCaffrey, 28 is a bit of a graybeard for his position, but his injuries aren’t believed to require surgery and he could bounce back. Aiyuk faces a long and arduous rehab which could limit his impact in 2025. Williams could be as good as ever or suddenly show his age.

You could also throw Deebo Samuel, who signed a three-year extension worth more than $71 million in 2022, into the big-money mix. Samuel hasn’t approached his 2021 numbers (77 receptions, 1,405 yards, 365 yards rushing and 14 total touchdowns). Samuel is 29, and his take-on-all-comers physicality is taking its toll.

Samuel took a backseat in the receiving room to Jauan Jennings, whose two-year, $15.4 million extension was well worth the investment.

Going into the 2023 season, the 49ers made Nick Bosa the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL with a five-year deal at an APY of $34 million. Bosa made the Pro Bowl this season, but had issues with oblique injuries, missed two games and had nine sacks — his fewest in a non-injury season since his rookie year.

Bosa was very good, but not great — and the 49ers are paying him to be great.

Javon Hargrave was the free agent prize going into 2023 with a four-year, $84 million deal but will be released two years early after missing 14 games with a torn triceps in 2024. That doesn’t happen when a player meets expectations.

Charvarius Ward signed a three-year, $40.3 million deal with the 49ers in 2022 and was outstanding for the first two years before personal tragedy struck in the death of his daughter this year. He’ll likely leave in free agency since the 49ers have already extended Deommodore Lenoir to the tune of five years and $92 million.

Getting what you pay for in the NFL can be a tricky business.

With that as a backdrop, and after Purdy had some issues with late-game interceptions and was less effective without his expected supporting cast, the impending contract has become a subject of national debate.

It’s not as if the 49ers haven’t gotten what they bargained for in the cases of perennial Pro Bowlers George Kittle and Fred Warner.

The late Bill Walsh was a believer in parting with a player a year too early rather than a year too late. But if the 49ers are going to rebound, they’ll need Kittle and Warner on board even as attrition gradually erodes their ability to perform.

In 2020, Kittle signed a five-year, $75 million deal that expires after the 2025 season. At 31, Kittle is still a standard-bearer at his position. The following offseason, Warner, now 28, signed a five-year, $95.2 million extension and has been well worth the investment in terms of performance and leadership.

But with the 49ers having adjusted their contracts for cap purposes, Warner’s current cap number is more than $29 million, with Kittle at more than $22 million. To help accommodate Purdy and others, the 49ers are faced with considering extensions for both that would lower their cap numbers but lengthen their commitment to players who inevitably will show decline.

The 49ers left little doubt Purdy is their man now and into the future and he’ll be paid as such. If he struggles, Purdy will go from being hailed as the NFL’s best bargains since arriving as the final pick of the NFL Draft to the top of “most overpaid” lists.

To be back in the mix as a legit contender for a championship, all the 49ers have to do is write the check and cross their fingers that all the big checks they’ve written over the past few years show a better return on their investment than was evident in 2024.

If it doesn’t work, all the bean counting in the world isn’t going to save the 49ers from a continued descent into oblivion.