It finally happened. The San Francisco 49ers gave their franchise quarterback Brock Purdy a massive contract extension.
The deal was aided by the fact that no other quarterbacks got huge extensions this offseason.
Purdy is now in the top 10 of highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Some may scoff at the $53 million AAV on his five-year, $265 million contract, but that has essentially been the going rate for quarterbacks in recent years.
The Niners may end up being very fortunate there were no other high-profile signal-callers due for a big contract this season. If there had been, whatever contract that player received could have ended up re-setting or altering the QB market, which may have meant the 49ers would have had to pony up even more for Purdy.
As things stand, Purdy's contract could end up looking like a bargain in the long run. We have seen time and again how quarterback contracts that seem insanely lucrative one offseason end up looking pretty good just a few years later.
Purdy's contract could end up hitting hard in two seasons, but the front office simply had to make sure they got this deal done. San Francisco has had more than enough drama behind center in recent seasons. The Niners finally have a guy that head coach Kyle Shanahan seems to fully trust throwing the ball for him, and the fanbase has fallen in love with Purdy, thanks to all of the success he has brought the Niners ever since he became the starting quarterback.
He is everything a team could want in a franchise quarterback in terms of being eminently humble and dedicated to improving. Sure, he does not have the physical attributes of other quarterbacks, but he has the mental acuity and instincts to make up for that.
The fact the 49ers got this deal done fairly early without a ton of drama bodes well for their chances in 2025. The last two offseasons were characterized by long, drawn out contract talks with defensive end Nick Bosa and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, so a drama-free offseason is a very welcome respite from that.
In the end, San Francisco got its guy, which is all that really matters. We know how close the 49ers got to winning a Super Bowl with Purdy as their quarterback.
One hopes that over the course of this contract the stars can align and Purdy can lead the 49ers to their sixth Lombardi trophy.
If he can, then the deal will have been more than worth it.