Seventy-eight. According to Spotrac.com, that's how many NFL quarterbacks earn an average salary higher than the San Francisco 49ers' second-year passer, Brock Purdy.
The team accomplished what it set out to do in 2021—build a team around a quarterback on a rookie contract. The 49ers hoped that would be Trey Lance, trading a haul of draft capital to the Miami Dolphins to move up to select the quarterback. Unfortunately, that did not work out and will likely go down as one of the worst draft trades in NFL history—a significant stain on head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's resume.
The Niners got lucky, though. Purdy fell into their laps last year. The team selected the quarterback with the last overall pick, and after injuries to Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy was thrust into the starting lineup and never surrendered the spot. Even as he recovered from offseason surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, the 49ers declared a healthy Purdy the starter for the 2023 season.
Finding a young quarterback to build around didn't happen how the Niners imagined. It will be Purdy, not Lance, moving forward. Last week, San Francisco traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Looking through Spotrac's average quarterback salary rankings, you have to scroll all the way down to No. 79 on the list to find Purdy, who is averaging $934,252 a season, per the salary cap site. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert comes in at No. 1 on the list, earning $52.5 million per season.
Lance comes in at No. 25 on the list, averaging $8.5 million per season on his four-year, $34.1 million rookie contract.
Who are the lowest-ranked starting quarterbacks above Purdy on the list? Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell comes in at No. 76, averaging $1 million per season. If you see Clayton Tune as the Arizona Cardinals' starter, he is at No. 71, averaging $1.05 million. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder sits at No. 57, averaging $1.34 million.
Kenny Pickett of the Pittsburgh Steelers is at No. 42. He will face the 49ers in Week 1. Pickett, a first-round pick in last year's draft, averaged about $3.5 million a season.
If Purdy ends up working out for the 49ers, he will be an impressive bargain. The quarterback signed a four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract last year and isn't slated to hit free agency until 2026.