How 49ers-Brock Purdy Contract Could Impact Falcons

Little has the potential for a greater impact around the league than a new quarterback contract. Brock Purdy landed that with the San Francisco 49ers on Friday afternoon.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 49ers and Purdy agreed to a five-year, $165 million contract. The deal included $181 million guaranteed.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio theorized Saturday that with Purdy's contract, Patrick Mahomes and others could "tweak" their current deals. The total value of Mahomes' contract is still a lot more than anyone else in NFL history, but the 3-time Super Bowl winner is now 14th in average annual salary.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has the same average annual salary as Mahomes right now.

But while Purdy's contract is for a lot of money, it's actually not a whopping amount based on NFL quarterback standards.

For years, starting NFL quarterbacks typically set new heights with each new contract. But Purdy's contract continued a new trend of franchise signal-callers landing impressive deals but not record-breaking ones.

Purdy's new contract is ranked fifth in the league from a total value standpoint. His $53 million average annual salary ties him with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff for seventh-highest in the league.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox argued Friday that Purdy's contract could set a new trend.

"The days of young, extension-eligible quarterbacks topping the most recent deal may be over, at least for the time being. That's most relevant for quarterbacks from the 2023 class, like C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young who, believe it or not, will be eligible for new deals next offseason," wrote Knox.

It's still a few years away, but it's not too early for Falcons fans to be monitoring the quarterback market. Atlanta pundits fully expect Michael Penix Jr. to be Atlanta's franchise quarterback. That means, one day, he will need to be paid like one.

In a perfect world, Penix will become an MVP candidate behind center. If that happens, then all bets are off -- Penix could reset the quarterback market with a record-breaking deal.

But if he's a top 10 signal-caller yet just behind the Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson tier, then the Falcons may have a new blueprint to follow with the Purdy contract.

Penix's contract negotiations are still years away. With his fifth-year option, his rookie deal doesn't expire until March 2029. It's impossible to predict Penix's value or what the quarterback market will look like by then.

Purdy's contract gives the Falcons hope, though, that even if Penix is the team's franchise quarterback, they won't have to offer a record-setting deal to keep him.