Over the last few years, one of the most common talking points when it comes to the San Francisco 49ers was how lucky they were to have a quarterback not only on a rookie contract, but on a Mr. Irrelevant rookie contract. Brock Purdy outplaying his deal like a madman meant the 49ers could bulk up at nearly every other position. That led to the creation of a real juggernaut of a roster in 2022 and 2023.
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How much did he actually receive? Number one picks like Caleb Williams sign for around $10 million a year on their rookie contracts, while Purdy’s (the last man selected) was a four-year deal worth just under $4 million. Despite being a Pro Bowler in 2023 and starting in the Super Bowl, he has yet to earn a yearly salary over $1 million. Even the highest-paid QB, Dak Prescott, can’t say he did that.
Through three years as a starting NFL QB, Purdy has made just $2,885,346 million in career earnings. His salary jumps up to over $5 million in 2025, but he hasn’t received that quite yet. While he’s certainly not struggling financially relative to you or me, he’s definitely having a rough go compared to other professional athletes. That lack of financials meant that the 49ers star had to rent an apartment with teammates.
On the Built 4 More podcast, Purdy revealed that the situation actually continued even after he got married to Jenna in March last year.
“We’re in my second year, we’re about to play the Cowboys on Sunday night, and I do a sit down interview and they ask about life and what it looks like for me. And I’m like, ‘Honestly I can’t afford a house right now, and I’m renting a house with a teammate, an offensive lineman.'”
The interview Purdy referred to was framed in a way that made it seem like Purdy was “like Harry Potter living underneath the staircase” or living in a frat house with 15 guys. In reality, it was just Purdy, his wife Jenna, and his teammate Nick Zakelji.
“So, I was slowly working up. And they took that and ran with it, saying I was like Harry Potter living underneath the staircase, and I was like, really? (Laughs) But no, it was not like that. We lived in a house with a roommate and then Jenn and I got married and then he lived with us until his lease was up and then we were like, ‘Hey man, you gotta go.’ (Laughs) I love Nick.”
Purdy now has the house to himself and his wife. The timing is pretty funny since he’s set for a massive contract extension after the 2025 season. There will be no more talk of housemates once he signs a deal worth $45 million or more per year. However, he’ll need to prove he deserves it in 2025. The team has already started offloading big contracts to prepare for that possible extension in 2026.
