When the San Francisco 49ers selected quarterback Brock Purdy with the very last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, they could not have predicted that he would be their next franchise quarterback. At the time, Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was their starter. Jimmy Garoppolo, their former big free agent signing, was his backup. Purdy was drafted to compete for a third-string role, but not much more.
Lance, however, got hurt early in the season and was replaced by Garoppolo. The two-time Super Bowl Champion (as Tom Brady‘s backup with the New England Patriots), though, also got hurt late in the season. This development thrust Purdy into the starting role and, as a result, into the 49ers future plans.
San Francisco finished the 2022 season 5-0 with Purdy under center. He threw for 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions that year and finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
So convincing was Purdy’s performance to end his rookie season that the 49ers decided to move on from both Lance and Garoppolo after the year was over.
San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy Had a Stellar Season in 2023
![San Francisco 49ers: Quarterback Brock Purdy Predicted to Sign Massive Contract Extension After 2024 NFL Season 1 San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22127426_168400517_lowres.jpg)
If there were any doubts regarding Purdy’s immediate future as a starting quarterback in the NFL going into the 2023 season, he removed all doubt with his consistent play all year long.
Purdy finished the season with a 69.4% completion percentage, 4,280 passing yards, 31 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions, and a 113.0 passer rating.
He led the NFL in touchdown percentage (7.0%), yards per pass attempt (9.6), yards per pass completion (13.6), passer rating, and QBR (72.8). Purdy was also named to his first Pro Bowl and finished fourth in MVP voting.
As the final pick in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy is not being paid the way big-time quarterbacks in the NFL are.
That will soon change.
NFL Analyst Believes the San Francisco 49ers Will Give Brock Purdy a Massive Contract Extension
![San Francisco 49ers: Quarterback Brock Purdy Predicted to Sign Massive Contract Extension After 2024 NFL Season 2 San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy, Matt Hasselbeck](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22522701_168400517_lowres.jpg)
Currently, Purdy is making less than $1 million a year on his rookie contract. According to Spotrac, his annual salary is $934,252. Given the salaries that other quarterbacks have been given this offseason, San Francisco may want to sign him to an extension sooner rather than later.
In a recent article posted on Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Khristopher Knox predicts that Purdy will soon get a deal that rivals those given out this offseason:
“Good supporting cast or not, Purdy has grossly outperformed even the most outlandish pre-draft expectations, and he deserves to be compensated for it. Barring a severe regression in 2024, there’s practically no way he’ll be willing to play the 2025 season under the $1.1 million cap hit he’s scheduled to carry.
“…it’s hard to envision San Francisco moving off of Purdy or trying to convince him to play out his rookie deal. Quarterback contracts aren’t going to suddenly go in the other direction, so if the top of the QB market is $55 million (or more) in 2025, it could be $60 million by 2026.
“Purdy may be content to take a little less to help keep the 49ers roster together. However, Spotradc projects his market value at $50.9 million annually, and with Tagovailoa’s deal on the books, Purdy will likely command a bit more than that.
“And if Purdy takes San Francisco a step further and delivers the Lombardi Trophy this season, his next deal just might eclipse those of Lawrence and Burrow after all.”
Knox predicts that the 49ers will offer Purdy a five-year $266 million contract next offseason. The $53 million annual salary would presumably make him one of the top-five highest-paid quarterbacks.
It will not be easy. San Francisco has some work to do to get under the salary cap next season and still needs to figure out what to do with Brandon Aiyuk.
But they need to make sure Purdy sticks around. They may not get so lucky with a seventh-round pick again.
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