Brock Purdy is poised for a significant payday this offseason, and the San Francisco 49ers are eager to lock in their young quarterback with a long-term deal. However, the real question centers around determining Purdy's worth. Should the 49ers help him reset the market, or can both sides agree on a mutually beneficial deal that rewards Purdy handsomely while allowing the team financial flexibility to maintain a competitive roster?
The 49ers have benefited from Purdy's status as one of the NFL's best bargains. As the final pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy's rookie contract pays him an average salary of less than $1 million. That will change this offseason when Purdy becomes eligible for a contract extension.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young weighed in on the looming contract situation, suggesting things could become awkward if Purdy's camp aims to make him the NFL's highest-paid player.
Young argues that such a move would hinder the 49ers' ability to surround Purdy with the talent he has grown accustomed to.
"Everyone loves Brock, and loves his game, and loves his efficiency, his leadership, and everything else, but we got to make sure we have the money to put the people with him to go win it," Young said Wednesday on the Dan Patrick Show.
Young noted that paying Purdy top-tier money might still work if the goal is merely to win games and make the playoffs every season.
"But if you're talking about, 'We want to go to the Super Bowl,' we need people to be there to help Brock," Young explained.
He pointed to players like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, who are (or were, in Brady's case) willing to sacrifice some salary to ensure their teams remain championship contenders.
"[If Purdy has] that mentality, it could all get worked out," Young said. "If everybody says, 'Oh, no, I want every last dollar, and I have to set the market,' that's going to be a complicated [situation]. There's the awkwardness that you just talked about."