49ers insider blasts critics of QB Brock Purdy after massive contract extension

The San Francisco 49ers signing quarterback Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265M contract extension that included $181M in guarantees and a no-trade clause has predictably sparked debates on sports-talk programs in the closing days of May. 

During a Tuesday appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area ripped those who have criticized the club for giving Purdy such a massive deal this spring. 

"I don't know if they watch the 49ers," Maiocco said of those who have questioned the team paying Purdy, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. "I don't know if they watch much professional football because this is a guy that put up huge numbers in 2023, his first full year as a starter."

Per Pro Football Reference, Purdy ended the 2023 regular season ranked first in the NFL among qualified players with a 72.8 adjusted QBR, a 113.0 passer rating and an average of 9.6 yards gained per pass attempt. The Most Valuable Player finalist was also third in the league with 31 touchdown passes, fifth with 4,280 passing yards and fourth with a 69.4 percent completion percentage. Purdy later guided the 49ers to an overtime lead in Super Bowl LVIII before Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes engineered a championship-winning drive. 

However, Purdy more recently was unable to help the 49ers overcome an injury crisis this past season as the club went from 5-4 to 6-11. Earlier this week, former NFL wide receiver and current analyst T.J. Houshmandzadeh made it known he feels the 49ers "did overpay for Brock Purdy" by making the 25-year-old the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL as it pertains to average annual salary (tied with Detroit Lions starter Jared Goff). Houshmandzadeh's comments raised some eyebrows since he has served as a personal coach for current 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

"Does he have the biggest arm in the world? Of course not," Maiocco said about Purdy. "But where his strengths lie are in other areas, like being able to read a defense on the fly, and knowing the offense, and being accurate and decisive, his decision making, his processing, all of those things. He's a really good player, and there's no question about it."

As Maiocco noted, Pro Football Reference shows that Purdy ended the 2024 season ranked seventh in the league among qualified signal-callers with a 67.9 adjusted QBR. Ahead of Memorial Day, ESPN NFL analyst Aaron Schatz argued that other stats indicate Purdy may be underrated compared to other QB1s. 

"I just don't think that, inside the building, and the people who are making the decisions, and the people who are around the 49ers, I don't think there was ever any question that he is the guy for the future," Maiocco added about Purdy.

The 49ers could've asked Purdy to play on the final year of his inexpensive rookie contract, knowing they could've retained his rights for 2026 via the franchise tag. They instead paid him like a top-tier quarterback, and they'll now be hoping he looks like a bargain for the club at this time next year.