The San Francisco 49ers are entering what is likely the final season they'll have a bargain under center.
Brock Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft who quickly transformed from Mr. Irrelevant to the 49ers' franchise quarterback, enters the '24 campaign on the third season of his rookie deal. He'll be paid just over $1 million this year—by far the lowest salary among any starting quarterback in football.
Purdy, however, will be eligible to sign an extension next offseason, and it's very likely he'll do so to avoid being paid $1.1 million in 2025 as the quarterback on a Super Bowl contender. But what will that contract look like?
ESPN's Bill Barnwell took his best guess in a piece published Thursday.
"If he continues this level of play, my best estimate is that a Purdy deal would come in around five years and $325 million, for an average of $65 million per season," Barnwell wrote. "It's always possible the quarterback could take some semblance of a reduced salary to try to make life easier for his team, but after making just $2.6 million over the first three years of his existing deal, I'm not sure why he would be willing to cut the 49ers any slack."
A five-year deal worth $325 million—a $65 million annual salary—would by far exceed the biggest contract paid out to any player in terms of annual value in NFL history.
Patrick Mahomes holds the record for raking in the most total cash, signing a 10-year contract worth $450 million in 2020, but his $45 million salary currently ranks ninth among quarterbacks. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow hold that crown entering the 2024 campaign at $55 million per year. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, holding out for a new deal, appears set to land among this group as well.
The 49ers are paying six players at least $19 million in 2024, and that list could grow with receiver Brandon Aiyuk looking for a new contract extension. General manager John Lynch has plenty of tough decisions to make next offseason. But for now, the 49ers' loaded roster is determined to take advantage of Purdy's $1 million contract—the biggest bargain in the NFL—for one more run at the Super Bowl.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Predicts Mind-Boggling Brock Purdy Contract Extension With 49ers.
