Put very simply, Brock Purdy got paid.
The San Francisco 49ers locked up their franchise quarterback for the next five years after the two parties agreed to a five-year, $265 million extension.
Purdy’s deal also includes $181 million guaranteed, of which $165 million comes within the first three years, according to NFL insider, Tom Pelissero.
But with such a lucrative deal comes a great deal of eyebrow raising from those in and around the league.
Despite the noise going on outside of the 49ers’ camp, internally, San Francisco are extremely content with their decision, and very much believe he is worth every penny of the sum they have paid him.
When berated with questions over whether his quarterback is worth such an investment, six-time Pro Bowler George Kittle jumped to the defense of his signal-caller.
“I don’t know what his winning percentage is, but when you win a lot of games and you only need two years to go to the NFC Championship or better, I think that’s decent,” the 49ers tight end said on an appearance of “The Rich Eisen Show.
“One of my favorite things that I’ve heard is that everyone calls him a checkdown merchant. And then, the last two years, he’s had the least amount of checkdowns as a starting quarterback. So I think he’s doing pretty well.”
Dubbed “Mr Irrelevant” after being drafted with the 262nd – and the final – pick of the seventh round in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy now becomes the fifth-highest paid quarterback in the league.
The 25-year-old’s new lucrative deal will see him command more than $53 million annually, more than last season’s Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts ($51 million AAV), and two-time league MVP winner, Lamar Jackson ($52 million AAV).
Purdy’s new contract is also a significant leap from his previous deal, where he was only commanding $935k annually, with just $77k of that guaranteed.
Furthermore, there is speculation that Purdy perhaps left some money on the table in order to help better the team around him.
TE Kittle was full of praise for his signal callerGetty Kittle rubbished claims Purdy is a ‘checkdown merchant’Getty“We want to make sure that we’re working together with our organization and setting up everybody for success,” Purdy said at his media availability last week.
“It’s not just for me to get all the money, as much as I can, but also let’s surround yourself with a great team and players and a great locker room. All those things matter.”
Whilst the former Iowa State Cyclone has shown himself to be a proven winner, leading San Francisco to Super Bowl LVIII in his first full season as the starting QB, and two NFC Championship games, he signed his new contract off the back of his worst season – at least statistically – as a pro.
Starting 15 games in 2024, Purdy threw for 20 touchdowns and 3,864 yards, and finished the season with a career-low 65.9 percent pass completion percentage.
He also had a career-high 12 interceptions, which gave him a 67.9 QBR, down from a 72.8 QBR in the previous year.
Purdy had a down year last season as the 49ers were plagued by injuriesGettyNonetheless, his slight down year did not deter 49ers GM John Lynch from pulling the trigger on signing his quarterback for the long-term.
In fact, Lynch couldn’t believe just how could Purdy would turn out to be when they drafted him.
“Brock is a tremendous leader and a fantastic representative for the 49ers organization, and we are ecstatic to get this deal done,” Lynch said in a team statement.
“When we took him with the last pick in the Draft, we knew he had potential to succeed in this league, but we had no idea how special of a player he would become. He has played at an exceptionally high level since taking over the starting job, and we look forward to seeing him continue to lead this team for years to come.”
The 49ers have been in and around Super Bowl contention for the last few years, but during the off-season, they have lost eight starters, including the crux of their defense in linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
They were unable to bring in big name additions at free-agency, with arguably their biggest signing being that of former Jacksonville Jaguars back-up tight-end, Luke Farrell.
However, they were able to somewhat mitigate some of those gaps in their roster with their 11 draft picks, including drafting former Georgia edge Mykel Williams with the 11th overall pick, and defensive tackle Alfred Collins from Texas in the second round.
Does that make them Super Bowl contenders right away?
It’s unlikely, especially after coming off a woeful 6-11 record from the 2024 campaign.
However, with Purdy’s long-term extension, Lynch and the 49ers are likely looking more towards the future rather than the now.
Nonetheless, Purdy himself has the self-belief and the arm talent to take San Francisco back to their winning ways.
“There’s 32 starting quarterbacks, and it’s not the easiest job in the world,” Purdy said when addressing the media in his availability.
“And for me, with what I’ve done and everything, I can hang my hat on the fact that I’ve had some success in this league and I’m capable of leading an organization all the way to the end, the Super Bowl. I’ve proved that.”
Whilst Purdy and the 49ers certainly have Super Bowl aspirations, how long it may take to reach those heights again, though, remains to be seen.
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