Technically, Brock Purdy still is one of the biggest bargains in professional sports.
Soon, the 49ers probably will give him a contract extension that pays him more than $50 million per season on average. But until then, he's still on his rookie deal. And according to NFL.com, he's the third-best quarterback in the NFL on a rookie deal.
"This placement might be obsolete soon, given Purdy is entering the final year of his rookie pact in 2025 and is expected to agree to a new contract," writes NFL.com's Nick Shook. "And yes, I've ranked a quarterback who has reached the Super Bowl behind two who haven't. But I'm aiming for upside, and while Purdy has accomplished plenty (especially considering he entered the NFL as Mr. Irrelevant), if I'm building a team around any of these quarterbacks on rookie deals, I'm choosing Purdy after Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud.
"Purdy ranked 14th among all signal-callers in my final QB Index rankings from the 2024 season. He had some excellent performances last year, but also was a bit too volatile -- especially when injuries piled up around him -- to earn a top-end ranking. He's going to get paid, and he's established himself as the 49ers' franchise starter, but I still wonder whether he's the type of quarterback capable of elevating his team, or if he simply capitalizes on the strength of his squad and does his job well."
I actually think this is generous.
Purdy is a good quarterback, but he's largely a product of his supporting cast -- we saw that last season when the supporting cast got injured. On a subpar team, he might look like a subpar quarterback.
That's why I would take Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy and Cam Ward over him if their supporting casts were equal.
