San Fransisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s hand-in-glove fit into Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been ready to see it’s due for some time.
The 24-year-old quarterback is reportedly seeking “top of the quarterback market” money in his upcoming contract negotiations with the San Fransisco 49ers, as per Tom Pelissero on the Rich Eisen Show.
“With Brock Purdy, I think you have to look at it in the aggregate here,” Pelissero said. “In his short career, he already has 13 games with 120 passer rating which is the most of any player ever over their first three seasons. The efficiency numbers are really strong on him. And he has four playoff wins. The last two guys to reset the market were Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson, who have four playoff wins combined. And wins are not a quarterback stat, but the point is they found a way to win a ton of games with Purdy.”
If wins are the barometer here, it’s hard to argue that Purdy hasn’t truly earned his allowance.
He’s been an exciting plug-and-play development for the 49ers ever since the day he stepped in as their last resort late in the 2022 season with then-first and second stringers Jimmy Garropolo and Trey Lance both out to injury. Purdy subsequently marched the 49ers into the NFC Championship game.
The rest has been history as he never relinquished the role after that, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023 after a season in which he remained in MVP consideration from start to finish.
It was obvious from the get-go that Purdy wasn’t the flashy quarterback who could spit out highlight-reel plays by carving through defenders with speed and agility. But it’s his efficiency and decision-making abilities that have kept San Fransisco humming in the parts of three seasons he’s been in the offense’s cockpit.
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Many like to argue Purdy leans on slant routes and bubble screens that opposing defenses have difficulty defending, even when they know what’s in store.
Though Purdy has demonstrated he wields one of the NFL’s strongest throwing arms, recording longest throws of over 50 yards five times last season and three in 2024.
It’s not a question that this trajectory over the last 24 months has made for a compelling case that Purdy is a high-value quarterback in the NFL.
But the next question is just how much?
It’s worth noting in the context of Purdy’s negotiations that the 49ers’ struggles in 2024 could certainly affect what leverage he has with the team.
Both parties are free to begin negotiations on an extension at the end of this season, which is likely following the 49ers’ final three regular season games.
Of course, considering the laundry list of injuries that Shanahan has been burdened with all season, Purdy is not the sole man to blame for the utter failure that this current 6-8 season has turned out to be.
He still ranks within the top 10 quarterbacks in QBR, though the young signal caller is rebounding off of his worst outing of this blooper campaign. Purdy completed a season-low 45.2% of his passes and chalked up only 142 yards for zero touchdowns and an interception in Thursday’s paint-drying 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
His completion percentage has dropped by almost four percent in contrast to 2023.
As the former Mr. Irrelevant of the NFL Draft, Purdy is entering the last year of his current contract where he is making just over $1 million per season. So either way, his bank account will be seeing an exponential rise.
“The situation is this: He’s eligible for a contract extension starting at the end of the regular season, which is in all likelihood going to be the end of the season as a whole for the 49ers,” said Pelissero. “Next year is a contract year. If a deal is going to get done, I would anticipate it is at the top of the quarterback market for all the reasons I just said. That’s Dak’s number. That is $60 million per year. Are the 49ers willing to go to that, or are they going to be in a situation where you could have a standoff with your starting quarterback into the offseason?”
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