Brock Purdy recently signed a five-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers. The deal is worth $256 million and includes $181 million in guaranteed money. The biggest kicker in the contract is not even dollar-based: The 49ers gave Brock Purdy a no-trade clause. He joins seven other quarterbacks who have a no-trade clause in the NFL.

During the press conference announcing the signing of his new contract, Purdy was asked whether it was essential to include a no-trade clause.

“I think it’s imminent, yes, but also that’s what my agent and I had discussed with what other quarterbacks have around the league and stuff in their contract,” Purdy said. “But, for me, was it going to be a determining factor in signing it? No. We were very grateful that we had it in there, but at the end of the day, like I said, everything else that the contract entails, we’re very excited about, so we’re grateful how it turned out.”

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No-trust clauses give the player more control in contract negotiations. Because quarterbacks are crucial in the modern-day NFL, they are usually reserved only for quarterbacks. It gets fuzzy on whether starting-caliber quarterbacks need them. The reason is that no one would inherit the contract if a starting quarterback had no desire to be there.

Brock Purdy might be the best story in the NFL today. He was drafted as Mr. Irrelevant in 2022 and has outperformed where he was taken, becoming one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL today. Many of his critics say that he is only performing this well due to the supporting cast around him and the system that head coach Kyle Shanahan employs. However, he still has to execute that plan, and he has succeeded in that regard, highlighted by taking the 49ers to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Starting quarterbacks set the tone for every NFL franchise. They need to be all-in and the face of the franchise. Putting no-trade clauses in contracts is an added way of taking control of the situation, especially in a brutal league where players can earn as little as their counterparts in leagues like the NBA or the MLB.