Don't you see it? This is not that hard, but emotions can often crowd one's judgement. Brock Purdy has become a very popular player in NFL circles, given that he is Mr. Irrelevant and all. However, the San Francisco 49ers need to pay the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Iowa State sooner rather than later. For $45 million annually, I am good with it. If it goes above $50 million, I am all the way out...
In an anonymous survey conducted by Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame, six of the seven NFL front-office executives he interviewed would not be in favor of paying $50 million-plus in average annual value. Part of what makes Purdy special is he offers good quarterback play at a massively discounted price. The sooner the 49ers pay him, the sooner their Super Bowl window slams shut.
Because the NFL is defined by a hard salary cap, every dollar is precious. Is Purdy worth more than the $1 million or so he is making annually? Oh, absolutely, but if he approaches top of the market quarterback money, then somebody else on the 49ers core is not getting paid. Purdy will be paid a premium to elevate the talent around him. I am not entirely sure that he has the separating factor.
Given that John Lynch drafted Trey Lance No. 3 overall in 2021, why would I ever trust his instincts?
What should the San Francisco 49ers pay Brock Purdy on his new deal?
If Purdy were to get $50 million in average annual salary, that would put him just outside the top 10 in quarterback salaries at No. 11. That would slot him right behind Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and a former Heisman Trophy winner in Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals. That is a little more justifiable than I could have imagined, but what if he got Trevor Lawrence money?
If Purdy got $55 million in average annual value, that would have him in a five-way tie for second in the league with Lawrence, Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow, Green Bay Packers extraordinaire Jordan Love, and the reigning NFL MVP in Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. Lawrence does not belong in that group. Only Burrow had been to a Super Bowl and only Allen has won an NFL MVP before...
Now if Purdy were to get $45 million in average annual value, that would put him in a group with Kirk Cousins and Patrick Mahomes. Nobody has done a better job of getting the bag quite like Cousins. Mahomes is the best quarterback of his generation. Now imagine what the 49ers could do with the $5 to $10 million in available salary they would not have to give Purdy if he were making only $45...
What I am getting at is as soon as you pay your quarterback big time money off his rookie contract, it cuts into being able to build up the rest of the team around him. The goal for every NFL general manager is to draft a star quarterback and build a loaded team around him before he even gets to his second contract. I hate to say it, but the 49ers missed their window with Purdy before paying him big.
Ultimately, I totally agree with the six NFL executives Verderame spoke to that were not in favor of paying Purdy that lavishly. He will get paid. We are all aware of that. However, I think we would all rather see him get something closer to Geno Smith money than Tua Tagovailoa money. He is arguably better than both highly compensated quarterbacks, but he lacks their experience and overall cachet.
I could be convinced of Purdy getting $50 million annually on the dot, but not a single penny more.