The benefit of having a quarterback on a rookie contract is something few contending NFL teams can say they have. The San Francisco 49ers are one of those teams, but the clock is ticking toward the moment Niners quarterback Brock Purdy asks for a contract extension. The 49ers are bracing for that scenario.
Purdy will play out the 2024 season on year three of his four-year rookie deal which will pay him just shy of $1 million in base salary. To put into perspective how low that number is, Purdy's 2023 backup Sam Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings on March 13.
Having your starting QB's salary account for less than one percent of the team's salary cap is a luxury. The 49ers will have that luxury for two more seasons, but that cap hit will skyrocket in 2026 when Purdy's new deal kicks in.
What will that contract look like? 49ers CEO Jed York has an idea and is preparing to sign off on a deal that will probably make Purdy the highest-paid player in league history when the time comes.
“It's a good problem when your quarterback is one of the highest-paid guys on your team and in the league,” York said on Tuesday, per Cam Inman.
“It's what the market is. Brock is going to ask for something that no one has ever asked for before. I don't know how many players are making over $40 million (annually) as a quarterback right now.”
Nine QBs are making more than $40 million annually, with three others at that exact mark for average annual value. Purdy should lead the next crop of quarterbacks seeking a new otherworldly contract.
The price of paying Purdy
Brock Purdy couldn’t have imagined these conversations being centered around him just two years ago when he was selected with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Nicknames aside, Purdy had a phenomenal 2023 season as he led the Niners to the brink of a Super Bowl title.
Purdy started 16 games for the Niners, tossing 31 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions. He led the league with a 113 passer rating and took San Francisco to the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a spot they rode into Super Bowl 58.
Another year like that would prompt perhaps the largest contract in NFL history, one the 49ers are prepared and willing to make. Jed York proclaimed that quarterbacks earn their lofty salaries.
“To me, the quarterback is the most important position not just in football, but all of sports, and those guys should be paid a lot of money,” York said.
Those are bold words from a man who will soon have to pay his QB likely over $50 million a year. Brock Purdy has every right to ask for that when looking at the contracts that are already out there. Another MVP-caliber season would further cement Purdy's asking price and force the Niners to dig deeper into their pockets.
The 2025 offseason could be a historic one for the 49ers franchise. Brock Purdy is gearing up to become perhaps the league's highest-paid player and is on his way to superstardom.
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