Brock Purdy’s New Deal: A Game-Changer for the 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have made a bold statement about their future, and it revolves around one man: Brock Purdy. Ever since Purdy took the reins as the starting quarterback in 2022, the Niners have been vocal about their commitment to him as their quarterback of both the present and the future. Now, they’ve put their money where their mouth is.
On Friday, the 49ers and Purdy agreed to a five-year, $265 million deal, which includes a whopping $181 million in guaranteed money, according to sources who spoke with ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This contract is a significant upgrade for Purdy, who was famously dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
To put this into perspective, Purdy earned a total of $2.6 million over his first three NFL seasons, ranking him as the 76th-highest-paid quarterback during that period (2022-24), according to Roster Management System. With his new contract, Purdy’s average salary will be $53 million, meaning he will earn more per week ($2.9 million) than he did over his entire first three years combined.
General manager John Lynch had hinted at this development during the league meetings in Florida. “I think we’re going to get the deal done,” Lynch confidently stated on March 31. “That’s what I believe. We’ll just leave it at that.”
As the offseason program kicked off in April, Purdy’s presence was a clear indication that negotiations were moving in the right direction. By the time the NFL draft rolled around, Lynch confirmed that “substantive talks” were underway, and things were heading in a “good direction.”
Finally, on Friday, the deal was sealed, solidifying the 49ers’ faith in Purdy. Despite a challenging 6-11 season in 2024, where Purdy’s performance dipped from his Pro Bowl level in 2023, Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan remained steadfast in their belief in him.
“Brock is the leader of our team,” Shanahan declared on January 8. “I’ve loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here. Brock’s been a stud. He’s a guy I’ve got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he’s done in the field these last two and a half years and [we’re] capable of winning a Super Bowl with him. We just almost did. And I know he is capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future.”
As the 49ers wrapped up their 2024 season, Purdy made it clear that he wanted to stay with the team and was eager to finalize a deal sooner rather than later. In recent years, the 49ers have had protracted negotiations with players like defensive end Nick Bosa, receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and left tackle Trent Williams. These discussions often extended into training camp, keeping those players away from the team for much of the offseason program. However, given Purdy’s role as quarterback, there was a sense of urgency on both sides to reach an agreement well before the late-summer deals of previous years.
“More than anything for me, I want to be able to handle business the right way and do it in a respectable manner and get back to my team as fast as I can to get going,” Purdy said on January 6. “That’s my mindset, my focus. And obviously I want to help the team across the board with all the other guys who need to get their deals done, but everybody will handle it the right way and how they need to.”
The negotiation process for Purdy’s contract was reminiscent of the extension the 49ers worked out with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018. That year, Garoppolo signed a five-year, $137.5 million deal on February 8, making him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. While Garoppolo was set to become an unrestricted free agent, Purdy still had a year left on his rookie deal, which explains why Purdy’s deal took a bit longer to finalize. Nevertheless, it was completed well ahead of other major San Francisco contract extensions.
Purdy’s 2024 season was marked by challenges, as he often played without key members of his supporting cast. Running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, knee), Aiyuk (knee), Williams (ankle), tight end George Kittle (hamstring), and receiver Deebo Samuel (calf, illness, ribs) all missed varying amounts of time.
- In 2024, Purdy finished seventh in the NFL in QBR (68.0).
- He ranked 10th in passing yards (3,864).
- He was third in yards per attempt (8.5) in his 15 games.
- Purdy’s 1.7 touchdown-to-interception ratio was tied for 23rd, a dip from the 2.8 he had in 2023.
Despite these challenges, the 49ers’ confidence in Purdy never wavered, largely due to his impressive body of work. Since taking over as the starter for an injured Garoppolo in Week 13 of 2022, the Niners have gone 27-15 in games he has started. During that time, Purdy ranks fourth among all quarterbacks in QBR (70.2), third in passing yards (9,452), first in yards per attempt (8.9), and seventh in touchdown passes (64). With his contract situation now resolved, Purdy can focus on helping the Niners return to contention after a challenging season.
“I want to be in San Francisco and play my football career here,” Purdy said. “I know that I’m the guy for this organization and that I can do what it takes to help lead us where we want to go.”
In addition to Purdy’s contract, the 49ers made moves on the special teams front by reaching a one-year deal with veteran kicker Greg Joseph, as announced by his agency. After last month’s draft, the team expressed its intention to add a veteran to compete with incumbent Jake Moody. Moody, a third-round pick in 2023, ranked 35th in the NFL in field goal percentage among kickers with at least 10 attempts last season, going 11-of-20 after returning from a high ankle sprain in Week 10.
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
