Brock Purdy becoming the highest-paid player in the NFL? Even after his incredible 2023 season that almost ended in him winning the Super Bowl, it sounds like something beyond the realm of possibility.
But San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York, who is set to see his title change to principal owner, believes Purdy could well have that tag next year, when San Francisco will need to start negotiating over a long-term extension with their unlikely franchise quarterback.
The 49ers have profited from Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, having a rookie contract that in 2024 ranks 70th at the quarterback position for total cap hit ($1.1 million).
York and the 49ers know that, provided Purdy maintains his strong play after delivering MVP production in his first full season as the starter last year, his contract will become one of the most expensive in the NFL.
In the opinion of York, Purdy's deal could reset the market at the game's most important position.
“It’s a good problem when you’re quarterback is one of the highest-paid guys on your team and in the league,” York told reporters at the NFL's annual meetings on Tuesday.
"It’s what the market is. Brock is going to ask for something that no one has ever asked for before. I don’t know how many players are making over $40 million (annually) as a quarterback right now."
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the league's highest-paid player with an average annual salary of $55 million. Eight other players are earning over $40 million a year.
Purdy requesting a contract that would put him above Burrow would likely make life much more difficult for a franchise that already has a plethora of stars among the top earners at their position. Christian McCaffrey is the NFL's highest-paid running back, while Nick Bosa became the highest-paid defender in league history last offseason. This year, the 49ers could be set to make Brandon Aiyuk one of the highest-paid receivers in football.
But York, who has consistently allowed the 49ers to make aggressive moves in the trade market and alleviated the financial pain of onerous contracts by paying large, prorated signing bonuses, is calm about the prospect of making Purdy the highest-paid player in the league as he did Jimmy Garoppolo back in 2018. Garoppolo was signed to a deal worth $27.5 million a year, which would be 17th among quarterbacks by today's standards.
“There’s a lot of planning that goes into it," York added. "I’m glad we have Paraag [Marathe], J.L. [John Lynch], Kyle [Shanahan]. They’re the ones that are going to figure out the details of it, and I just have to sign the check. My part in that is kind of easy.
“When we signed Jimmy several years ago, it was the largest deal in the history of the NFL, for three minutes. That’s what the market is and you have to accept the reality of the world.
“To me, the quarterback is the most important position not just in football, but all of sports, and those guys should be paid a lot of money."
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