Brock Purdy defied all the odds by becoming the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback, but his salary has yet to reflect his progress.
Brock Purdy went from being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (known as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’) to becoming the starting quarterback for a San Francisco 49ers team that has serious Super Bowl aspirations.
This fantastic evolution, however, hasn’t been translated into a lucrative deal yet, as Purdy is still under the contract he signed as a rookie two years ago. The 24-year-old made it clear he’s not thinking about this situation, though.
“I’m trying to win this year and do everything I can for this organization this year,” Purdy said Monday, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Everything else happens how it happens. But for me, I need to get better from last year, on the film, and the things that I saw from last year. My rookie year, it’s like I’ve got this thing in me where I want to continue to master my craft, and that’s that.“
Purdy has taken the Niners to the NFC Championship Game before suffering a shoulder injury in his rookie year, and went on to make the Super Bowl in his second year. But his earnings have been of $1.652 million so far, and his annual average salary of $934,253 makes him the 90th highest-paid QB in the NFL.
“It’s a business, obviously, too. But for me, I love this game. I love just competing with these guys in this organization,” Purdy said. “I love this organization, and I want to continue to represent myself for them, and in the right way. So that’s where I’m at with that. Getting too caught up in all that kind of stuff is, for me, that’s nonsense. So, just taking it one day at a time and getting better.”
Purdy has one of the greatest stories in the National Football League right now. Selected with the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Iowa State product entered the league under the label of ‘Mr. Irrelevant’.
No one could imagine it by then, but he turned out to be quite relevant. Purdy started 2022 as the Niners’ third-string QB, but in a shocking turn of events, the team turned to him as both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered season-ending injuries.
Against all odds, Purdy looked up to the task and helped the team make a deep playoff run. In fact, his injury in the NFC title game against the Eagles was a huge blow as San Francisco couldn’t get the win without him.
Purdy came back stronger in 2023, building on his impressive rookie year to lead the 49ers all the way to Super Bowl LVIII. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs emerged victorious in the big game, but Purdy did just fine. The 49ers feel they’ve found the right guy for the job, and are expected to offer the young QB a massive raise when he becomes eligible for a contract extension in 2025.