During the 2022 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers had some major issues at the quarterback position, with Trey Lance and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo suffering season-ending injuries.
Little did Kyle Shanahan and company know that losing Lance and Garoppolo would become a blessing in disguise, because they never would’ve known what they had in Brock Purdy, who was the last pick in the NFL Draft, aka Mr. Irrelevant, that year.
Purdy came in and didn’t miss a beat as the 49ers starting quarterback and helped them reach the NFC Championship Game. That turned a lot of heads around the league, considering how many teams passed on drafting him.
Ironically enough, an injury knocked Purdy out of that game against the Philadelphia Eagles, so the loss wasn’t blamed on him, and he’d be given another opportunity the following year to compete with Lance to be the starter.
Fortunately for San Francisco, Purdy proved his value again in 2023, becoming a legitimate NFL MVP candidate and leading the team to the Super Bowl, showing that he’s the real deal and worth being its long-term starter under center.
With Purdy seemingly only getting better with every game, the 49ers will eventually have to pay him what he’s worth, and those dollars could push him into Patrick Mahomes territory, according to Evan Giddings of 95.7 The Game.
“The 49ers have to consider present dollars because I think Brock Purdy will be the first $60 million quarterback and the second $300 million quarterback, him and Patrick Mahomes,” Giddings said.
“The 49ers HAVE to consider present dollars because I think Brock Purdy will be the first $60 million QB and the second $300 million QB. Him and Patrick Mahomes.”
– @evanAgiddings via @SteinyGuru957.
📺 https://t.co/IRMqQ1zB72 pic.twitter.com/qlhc7ESrDp
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) August 1, 2024
Obviously, Purdy must continue to play at a high level for the 49ers to become the first NFL quarterback to earn $60 million a season, but signs do point to that being the case, as he has Shanahan’s full backing.
Of course, only time will tell if the 49ers will agree to let Purdy reset the quarterback market when it comes time to negotiate a contract extension in the Bay Area.
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