Steve Young's bold comparison between Brock Purdy and Jayden Daniels strengthens 49ers quarterback's hand in contract talks

Brock Purdy's improvisational ability and prowess for making things happen with his legs are key reasons why he is likely set to be made a very rich man by the San Francisco 49ers this offseason.

But legendary 49ers quarterback Steve Young does not believe San Francisco is making the most of Purdy's talents as a runner.

Asked about Purdy recently in an interview with 95.7 The Game, the Hall of Famer made an eye-opening comparison that the current 49ers quarterback will likely appreciate, as it may well help him in contract negotiations with San Francisco.

"I said during the season a couple of times, I think (Kyle Shanahan) should call RPOs for Brock,” Young said. "We should put him on the run out of the huddle where he’s going to carry it. The threat that he needs to bring -- look, we understand the processing power, but the game today is there are free first downs with your legs, free touchdowns, especially in the fourth quarter."

"(Purdy) can do 80 percent of what Jayden Daniels can do with his legs. You have to call plays for it. You have to threaten the line of scrimmage. If you're going to go to the Super Bowl, into the future you have to have a quarterback that's going to threaten the line of scrimmage every time they have the ball in their hands. These playoffs reminded me of that truth again. I think Brock can do that. It puts him at risk more because the ball is in the hands at the end of the play more often. That's risky, but I think it's got to happen."

Young's request for more designed Purdy runs may fall on deaf ears, and he certainly won't be used as a runner to the same extent Daniels is in Washington. Purdy carried the ball 66 times last season, while Daniels ran it 148 times, the second-most in the league among quarterbacks.

After a 2024 season in which Purdy battled an injury to his throwing shoulder in the second half of the year, the 49ers are unlikely to want to consistently put him in harm's way by running the ball by design too often. 

But Young's claim that Purdy can do 80 percent of what likely Offensive Rookie of the Year Daniels did during a spectacular first season in the NFL is useful to the 49ers' signal-caller.

Representatives will use statistics and quotes to try to up their client's numbers in contract negotiations, and it would be no surprise if Purdy's team brought up Young's comments in an effort to squeeze a better contract offer out of the Niners.

Whether it would work is another matter, however, the 49ers' first true dual-threat quarterback in franchise history alleging that Purdy has a similar skill set to somebody of Daniels' talents can only help strengthen his hand in contract talks.

Purdy's market value is set at an average salary of $59.7 million per year, according to Spotrac. There has been no suggestion to this point that he will get close to that number but, if he does, Purdy may well have Young to thank for the helpful remarks.