It's widely expected that the San Francisco 49ers will make quarterback Brock Purdy one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Whether he deserves to be paid like an elite quarterback is still up for debate—especially among the media and the fanbase. However, Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young is clear on one point: the 49ers have little choice but to pay him.
Young joined The Rich Eisen Show on Monday and acknowledged that Purdy may not possess some of the elite traits typically sought in a franchise quarterback, like impressive mobility or a cannon arm. But in Young's view, Purdy has something that makes up for those shortcomings—elite field awareness and processing ability.
Young emphasized that the 49ers don't have many alternatives if they want to avoid starting from scratch.
While Young isn't convinced that the negotiations with Purdy's camp will be smooth, he confidently added, "It gets done. It has to get done. There's not alternatives out there."
Though Purdy may not be the most athletic quarterback in the league, Young still believes he does enough to challenge opposing defenses.
"If Brock is 80% of that, he can threaten, he can move around, he can do all the things you do, and he can process as well as anybody," Young said. "So, in that way, quarterbacks are so hard to find, that Brock has done enough for sure to go out and get paid and get it done."
Some argue that the 49ers might be better off replacing Purdy with a cheaper option like Sam Darnold. After serving as Purdy's backup in 2023, Darnold had a breakout 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings. However, Young believes such a scenario would only unfold under dire circumstances.
"Something would have to go haywire for something like that to happen," Young shared.
