San Franciso 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is set to receive a massive salary increase, with a $55 million per season contract extension reportedly on the table. Should Purdy put pen to paper on the new deal, when it materializes, it would put him on par with Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow.
Purdy signed a four-year, $3,737,018 rookie contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. Only $77,008 of that sum was guaranteed. Purdy is now eligible for a contract extension, and the ball is in the Arizona native’s court, with the 49ers’s roster short of quarterbacks. Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs are impending free agents, while Tanner Mordecai went undrafted in 2024 before the 49ers signed him to a futures contract.
The 2025 Super Bowl only concluded earlier this month, but the 32 franchises are already starting their preparations for the upcoming campaign. Several pundits believe this will be the 49ers’ year, but those considering using a sign-up bonus from an online bookmaker to back the 49ers are waiting to see how Purdy’s contract negotiations pan out.
From Mr. Irrelevant to an NFL Superstar
Purdy played high school football for Perry in Gilbert, Arizona, and was considered a three-star recruit when college recruitment came around. Purdy committed to Iowa State University, where he started as the third-string quarterback. However, the first-choice quarterback got injured, and the second string was ineffective, so Purdy seized his chance to play with both hands.
Purdy made the starting quarterback spot his own. He played 48 games across four seasons and threw 12,170 passing yards and 81 touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback also gained 1,177 rushing yards and scored 19 touchdowns. Despite those impressive numbers, nobody was prepared to offer Purdy a rookie contract.
After the various NFL teams had selected 261 players between them, the San Francisco 49ers announced they were using their last pick to draft Purdy. As the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy earned the unwanted title of “Mr. Irrelvant.” This moniker is given to the last pick of each NFL Draft. It suggests that the player is irrelevant because he is unlikely to make the grade and play professional football after finding themselves so far down the pecking order. How wrong those predictions turned out to be.
Lady Luck Shines On Purdy
Unsurprisingly, Purdy started the 2022 regular season as the third-choice quarterback behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Nobody, not even Purdy, expected Mr. Irrelevant to feature in any of the 49ers games, but Lady Luck had other ideas.
After only two games, Lance suffered a season-ending injury, which elevated Purdy to the backup quarterback. He played a bit-part role for a few games before Garoppolo injured his foot in Week 13, leaving the 49ers no choice but to start with Purdy in the driver’s seat. The 49ers were 8-4 at the time and chasing a playoff berth, but they now had an unwanted rookie pulling strings from the pocket. Were the wheels about to fall off, and the 49ers Super Bowl dreams come crashing down?
No, was the answer because Purdy stepped up to the plate like a true champion. Under Purdy, the 49ers went 5-0 to finish with a 13-4 record. Purdy was instrumental in the 49ers’ Wild Card victory over the Seattle Seahawks and in the Divisional Championship win against the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, Purdy tore an elbow ligament during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles and was powerless to stop the Eagles from winning 31-7 and reaching Super Bowl LVII.
Reaching the Super Bowl
In 2023, Purdy came on in leaps and bounds and looked like a quarterback selected in the first round, never mind one dubbed Mr. Irrelevant. Across 16 games, Purdy threw 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns and enjoyed a passer rating of 113.0. Although his form dipped in the playoffs, Purdy helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl LVIII, later becoming the lowest-drafted quarterback in NFL history to start a Super Bowl. The 49ers lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, but Purdy had proven he was not a one-season wonder.
Last season, the 49ers rosters struggled with injuries, Purdy included. He still threw over 3,800 yards and 20 touchdowns despite missing two games. However, the 49ers could only muster a 6-11 season and missed the playoffs for only the second time in six years.
When Will Purdy Receive His Mega-Money Contract? Is He Worth It?
NFL players are currently enjoying a well-deserved break following a grueling 2024 season, Purdy included. Teams are expected to return to pre-season training camps in July, so Purdy should expect to see a new contract thrust his way before then; the 49ers need to know if they are in the market for a new starting quarterback or if Purdy will commit to the team from the Levi’s Stadium.
Rumors continue circling about the San Francisco 49ers offering Purdy a contract worth $55 million annually. However, retired NFL legend Shannon Sharpe would not pay such an astronomical sum to secure Purdy’s services. Speaking to British news outlet TalkSPORT, Sharpe said, “All I know is, I’m not getting Purdy anywhere near $50 million. I’d give you about $35-$40 million.”
Although Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl champion and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, is knowledgeable about football, he is not the one offering a contract to 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant. Those in charge of the 49ers’ purse strings are, and only they will decide if the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is worthy of a contract extension of that magnitude. Do the 49ers want to risk losing Purdy and having to start their quarterback search from scratch? It has been a problematic position for the team for several seasons, so they may break the bank to ensure the team has some continuity.