Brock Purdy is "Mr. Irrelevant" no longer.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback inked a new five-year, $265 million extension with $181 million guaranteed, making him the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in the league. While that’s a massive payday, it's a bargain compared to the Dallas Cowboys' decision to hand Dak Prescott a four-year, $240 million extension last offseason. quarterback Dak Prescott signed last season in terms of annual value.
At the time, it was a bold move, signaling full commitment to a quarterback considering he has yet to lead the team past the divisional round of the playoffs. But a year later, Purdy's comparatively team-friendly deal underlines just how much the Cowboys have invested in Prescott — and how much he still has yet to accomplish.
Even with an extension, Brock Purdy is still a good value for the 49ers
When comparing the two, Purdy has arguably accomplished more at a fraction of the cost. Purdy is 2-0 against Prescott, including a dominant win in the Divisional Round back in 2023. He led the 49ers to back-to-back NFC Championship appearances in 2022 and 2023, exceeding even the 49ers' expectations and giving the team an off-ramp from the Trey Lance decision that would likely have crippled any other team considering the price they paid to acquire him during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Tim Kawakami, a legendary Bay Area columnist now with the San Francisco Standard, pointed out that Purdy's 2025 salary will remain at $5.3 million, and the new contract will not kick in until 2026. And by pushing his new salary until next year, the team's salary cap will remain manageable. They also got an extension done with tight end George Kittle late last month, which was far more peaceful than the tumultuous offseason they experienced last year, dealing with holdsout from both the offensive tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
To be fair, Prescott himself has turned into a much better quarterback once he took over from Tony Romo, whose career was cut short by an injury in Prescott's rookie season. And the extent to which the Cowboys fell off when he suffered a season-ending injury last November showed the importance of Prescott to his team.
But the postseason results are hard to ignore. He’s 2-5 in the playoffs, with both wins coming against teams with backup quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Purdy has thrived under pressure, executing Kyle Shanahan’s offense with precision and accuracy despite not having the strongest arm or size. And unlike Prescott, he has already led the 49ers to the Super Bowl and came close to winning one.
The Cowboys are paying top dollar for a quarterback who hasn’t delivered top-tier results yet. The 49ers, on the other hand, have maximized value at the most important position in sports and are now rewarding Purdy after he proved he’s more than just a feel-good story.