The Athletic's Dianna Russini recently weighed in on the upcoming contract negotiation between the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy. After three seasons on a bargain rookie deal—being the last overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft—Purdy is finally eligible for a contract extension and is expected to land a significant payday.
The question of how much Purdy deserves has been heavily debated. While he had a record-breaking 2023 season and helped guide the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, his 2024 performance didn't quite measure up, and the team struggled to a 6-11 record.
Still, Russini anticipates that Purdy will land a top-of-the-market deal. During a recent podcast, she emphasized that the 49ers are committed to finalizing the deal and plan to begin working on it very soon.
"This isn't something they're going to be pushing off or that we're going to be discussing during training camp," Russini explained. "I think this is something that they're both in line with. Let's get the ball rolling on this and figure out where we are going to land on a number."
As for Purdy's value, Russini's colleague, Robert Mays, asked whether the 49ers are comfortable paying Purdy in the $55 to $60 million range annually.
"Yeah, I think that's going to be the number that they wind up sitting at," Russini said. "I think the agent is going to try to get more, but they'll wind up settling in that area."
Russini also pointed out that she doesn't believe Purdy is driven to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, which currently means surpassing Dak Prescott's $60 million average with the Dallas Cowboys.
"I think for Brock Purdy, if it was up to him, he'd probably make a little bit more than he is now as long as he can drive his Toyota," Russini remarked. "I don't think this is the type of player that's in this to be the richest man in football. I think he just wants to be paid what he's worth and continue to try to improve it and get them a Super Bowl."
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