One of the difficult aspects of the way 2024 unfolded for the 49ers was the fact that team officials–primarily GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan–knew they were in the final window of one of the biggest bargains in league history. That would be Brock Purdy, who was barely making $1 million in an NFL in which quality starters get 50 times that number.
The 49ers were brutalized by injuries, though, and limped their way to a 6-11 finish. Purdy’s numbers represented a sharp drop from 2023, and were relatively mundane–65.9% completion rate, 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 96.1 rating. Of course, there was debate about whether that drop-off was the product of injuries, or the fact that he was never all that good to begin with, that the 49ers’ stacked offense masked his flaws.
That made getting to an acceptable new contract for Purdy a difficult proposition. But at long last, the team and Purdy have found a common ground, and agreed to a new contract worth $265 million over five years.
49ers Make Brock Purdy 7th-Highest Paid QB in NFL
The deal was announced by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who wrote on Twitter/X:
“The 49ers underwent major changes this offseason, moving on from several key players, all with the understanding that they’d soon be paying Brock Purdy a massive contract after having the best bargain in football the past three years. Now it’s official: Purdy gets five years, $265 million, including $181 million guaranteed.”
While the deal is certainly a hefty one, it does not reset the quarterback market, as it looked like Purdy might do following his performance in 2023, when he was a Pro Bowler and MVP candidate, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
But on a per-year basis, it drops Purdy among the elite. Dak Prescott is still the top-paid guy on a per-year basis, at $60 million, followed by Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence at $55 million. Tua Tagovailoa comes in at just over $53 million, and Purdy will average $53 million, too.
Important to remember, of course: Purdy was a seventh-round pick, the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft and the guy who rescued the franchise from the Trey Lance mistake. He was set to be paid a mere $5.3 million this year, though he likely would have held out if he had not gotten a new deal.
That’s no longer a concern.
In fact, Purdy has now set a record, albeit an odd one: He is by far the highest-paid seventh-rounder in the history of the NFL. Per Mike Ginnitti of Spotrac:
“Largest Total Contracts signed by #NFL players drafted in the 7th round
- Brock Purdy, $265M
- Will Fries, $87.7M
- Jordan Mailata, $66M
- Trenton Brown, $66M
- Jordan Mailata,$64M
- Matt Cassel, $63M
- Jonathon Cooper, $60M
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, $59M
- Cortland Finnegan, $50M
- Jay Ratliff, $48.6M”
