49ers roster 2023: Everyone says Brock Purdy is the 'real deal,' but is he?
By Peter Panacy
What is Brock Purdy's contract with the 49ers?
An average-level starting quarterback can earn up to $20 million per season, while the elite-level ones can command over $50 million per year now, thanks to the blockbuster-kind of deals dealt out to the likes of the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, the Eagles' Jalen Hurts or the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson.
Brock Purdy isn't making that much.
Considering rookie contracts for draftees are essentially set by the current collective bargaining agreement, 261 players from the 2022 NFL Draft were all poised to make more money than Purdy.
He still received a four-year, $3.737 million contract, according to Spotrac, but the quarterback will take home $889,252 in potential earnings this season.
That's not even enough to count against the top-51 rule, which is used by the NFL to determine whether or not teams are under the salary cap by the beginning of the league new year in March.
With three more years on his rookie contract, the Niners may look to splurge on a supporting cast while Purdy remains cheap.