Brock’s Golden Ticket
It is official. The San Francisco 49ers and Brock Purdy have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth up to $265 million with $181 million in guarantees. Earlier in the offseason, there were questions about Purdy’s future in red and gold. However, the 49ers were serious about completing these contract negotiations before training camp started and they got their wish. Purdy becomes the highest-paid player in their franchise’s history and puts him in the conversation with some of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. The annual value of the new contract is in line with Jared Goff and Tua Tagovailoa’s contracts last offseason.
Purdy’s journey to franchise quarterback status is special. What seemed to be a throw away selection with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy was only seen as Trey Lance’s potential future backup. However, over the past few seasons, Purdy proved he was a little more than that as he led the 49ers to consecutive NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl LVIII appearance. He’s been known as Mr. Irrelevant for his entire career. With this contract, it places expectations for him to step into the role as franchise quarterback, the role the organization thinks he can fulfill.
An important detail in this contract extension is that $165.5 million of the $181 million guaranteed will be paid in the first three years of the deal, which means the team has a large amount of security if Purdy’s performance turns sour quickly. The contract doesn’t make or break the 49ers future, but it does limit them in some other aspects. Over the first three seasons, Purdy will be paid $55 million annually in guaranteed money. This limits their spending as they attempt to extend their window to maximize the seasons they have left with players like Trent Williams, George Kittle, and Fred Warner. The 49ers have the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL this season, so we’ll see quickly whether this extension is deserving.
Whether people around the league agree with this contract, San Francisco has learned from their mistakes in past offseasons. They have gotten their major deals with priority players done before the negotiations would become distracting. Reports have already surfaced of the team beginning to accelerate the negotiation process for a new extension for Warner. After training camp disruptions on deals for Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk in past offseasons, the 49ers and their franchise quarterback fail to draw this negotiation out and jeopardize the preparation for the 2025 season.
