Niners Nation
Several prominent NFL voices shared their thought on San Francisco’s major contract for Brock Purdy.
The San Francisco 49ers broke the bank this offseason, extending stars Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Fred Warner to top-of-the-line deals, keeping their homegrown talents in the Bay Area for years to come.
Purdy’s deal was by far the biggest, as San Francisco extended him on a five-year, $265 million contract that includes $181 million guaranteed, placing him near or inside the top 10 in several categories for contracts in NFL history.
It is a serious step up for the 2022 seventh-rounder, who had been making less than $1 million in salary for the past few seasons, but one that came after 2.5 years of starting quarterback play, which included two trips to the NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl loss.
Of course, like any other major deal, there has been a heavy discourse on whether Purdy deserved the contract, given how it compares to some of the top quarterbacks in the league.
But, to former All-Pro defensive back Rodney Harrison and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, the move was a no-brainer. Speaking on their Football Night In America podcast, the duo shared their thoughts on the move and why it made sense for both sides.
“I love it. I love the fact that they paid this guy,” Harrison said of Purdy’s deal. “This is what you want. This is the right person in the locker room to lead your team. He’s a really good quarterback. He’s young. He’s in his 20s. And to me, if you’re paying Trent Williams $27 million a year at 36 years old who only played 10 games last year, you gotta be able to pay Brock Purdy.
“I think he’s one of the top 12 to 14 quarterbacks in this league, and he deserves his money. He’s played on $800,000, $700,000, $300,000 too long. The guy deserves his money. He’s a perfect fit. And like I said before, it’s not his fault Brandon Aiyuk got injured. Christian McCaffrey wasn’t there. They had some injuries at the wide receiver position. The offensive line was up and down. Brock Purdy has been steady. I believe he deserves this deal. And I think this is a good sign to the locker room by John Lynch paying this guy.”
For Dungy, while he understands the severity of the contract, the Hall of Fame head coach believes it won’t be as big of a deal in a few years as the salary cap continues to rise.
“I absolutely agree with you, Rodney. I think there’s a couple of reasons behind [the Brock Purdy deal],” Dungy continued. “Number one, as you said, he played for the minimum for these first three years and rewarding your players that do well, that sends a message to the locker room. And then number two, we saw in that graphic, they put him in the middle of the pack of the franchise quarterbacks. But five years from...
