Brock Purdy is in the line for the largest raise in NFL history.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, is slated to make a base salary of $1.1 million next season—far below market rate for a QB who earned Pro Bowl honors last season. Purdy is eligible for a contract extension starting Monday, and after being one of the NFL’s best bargains, he’s looking to join the frenzy of signal callers who have recently cashed in.
That list includes the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawerence, Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love and Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, the last of whom became the highest-paid player in NFL history (the first to average $60 million per season). Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, is looking to reset the market—but accomplishing that feat could prove far more difficult than converting fourth-and-long.
After last season’s Super Bowl LIV appearance, Purdy and the injury-riddled 49ers (6-10) will miss the playoffs this year for the first time since 2020. The QB’s performance decline in multiple categories coupled with his injury history (he’s missing this week’s finale with a right elbow contusion) will make negotiations trickier, especially since some of the league’s recent big-money QB signees haven’t gotten off to a good start.
Lawrence, whose new contract pays $55 million per year on average, hasn’t lived up to his billing since he was drafted No. 1 out of Clemson in 2021, and the Jaguars have slumped to a 4-12 record in the first year of his deal. Tagovailoa has a well-publicized history of concussions, and his lingering hip problems are another threat to his career longevity. Prescott also saw his 2024 campaign end prematurely; he had season-ending surgery to repair his right hamstring.
Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson’s historic contract, signed in 2022, continues to give teams apprehension about doling out heavy guaranteed cash. The Browns have restructured that contract three times as they try to remain competitive with limited flexibility due to the ill-advised deal.
“San Francisco, because of their successful team-build strategy, they’re not in a position where they have to reset the market,” former Houston Texans executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby said in a phone interview. “The current precedent of what has happened with the $50 million (per year) quarterbacks should give them pause to do so.”
Easterby, who negotiated Watson’s $160 million extension with Houston in 2020, believes the 49ers’ roster-building methods enable them to potentially move on from Purdy and get a less-than-market-value deal for their next starting quarterback. San Francisco general manager John Lynch may consider bringing back resurgent Sam Darnold, an impending free agent who is having a Pro Bowl year with the Minnesota Vikings, if he’s available this offseason.
Purdy, a former third-string quarterback who was thrust into the starter role late in his rookie season, has been one of the best “Mr. Irrelevant” stories in league history. The 49ers have indicated Purdy is their franchise quarterback, but time will tell how much they’re willing to spend. It will be a critical negotiation that could become pricier if the 49ers decide to slap the franchise tag on the former Iowa State standout when the final year of his deal expires.
The quarterback tag in 2026 is projected to be more than $40 million, which is more cash in one season than 49ers legend Joe Montana made in his career (roughly $25 million in on-field earnings).
But if extension talks stall this offseason and Purdy plays well next fall, he could command even more money. The Cowboys, for example, were forced to pay top dollar for not securing Prescott long-term earlier in his career, which allowed him to set multiple NFL contract records including total guaranteed money ($231 million).
On the flip side, the Packers were decisive in extending Love, who didn’t have much of a history as a starter before signing a $220 million contract worth $55 million per year. While Green Bay fans may debate whether Love has validated that deal thus far, the Packers avoided a future headache in securing their long-term quarterback, who is taking his team to the postseason for a second straight year.
That may be how the 49ers feel about Purdy and the chance to lock up their signal caller for the long haul. But is Purdy willing to take a team-friendly deal as San Francisco looks to retain other key players, or is he determined to test his market?
With one of the league’s best QBR ratings since taking over as starter in 2022, Purdy has leverage, but perhaps not enough to stay with the 49ers on record-setting money. Another option is that the 25-year-old could end sign a shorter deal while still getting a strong raise.
With the 49ers’ offseason looming, Purdy made history on Monday Night Football this past week against Detroit, notching 15 games with at least two passing touchdowns and a passer rating of at least 115. That’s more than any NFL QB has had in his first three seasons. He also set a career high in passing yards (377) in the NFC championship rematch loss to Jared Goff and the playoff-bound Lions. Goff notably signed a $212 million deal earlier this year (averaging $53 million per season) that keeps him in Detroit through 2027 with a 2028 option.
It’s the kind of money Purdy is eyeing. Fellow QBs and front offices around the league will be paying attention, given the $50 million-plus deals that have spread across the league of late. The 49ers quarterback’s rise has been storybook, but the time to pay up for his services is coming—the question now is how big that check will be.
