Sometimes in life, you just don’t get the raise you’re hoping for. Despite contributing to four playoff wins and a Super Bowl appearance in the first three years, Brock Purdy may not be receiving the payday that he was hoping for.
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Citing recent reports that suggested the Iowa State product was seeking a deal involving $60 million per season, long-standing Fox Sports features, Nick Wright and Colin Cowherd, couldn’t help but share their opinions.
During his assessment on the latest episode of The Colin Cowherd Podcast, Wright surmised that breaking the bank for Purdy is the “worst” move possible for the front office.
“The worst thing you can do in the NFL is pay a good quarterback like he is a great quarterback. The Niners would be out of their mind to pay Purdy right now… It’s very rare that you and the team can have the worst year… and 10x your salary… I think they are going to [pay him] I just think it’s a mistake.”
In likening the situation to that of the Dallas Cowboys’ relationship with Dak Prescott, Cowherd found himself in agreement. Asserting that Dallas continues to “overpay for average players,” he suggested that prevailing sentiment across the fanbase is that “Jerry’s becoming old Al Davis, our drafts are bad, we don’t know what we’re doing.”
Following a 2023 campaign that saw Purdy produce a 12-4 record while leading the league in QBR and passer rating metrics, an unfortunate visit from the injury bug kneecapped the Niners’ 2024 season. After having managed a 17-4 record throughout his first two years as a starter, Purdy and 49ers faulted to a 6-9 record on the season, potentially costing him financially.
Nevertheless, Cowherd did suggest that the signal caller deserved at least a modest pay increase despite benefiting from one the best supporting casts in the NFL.
“You hired an intern, he ended up being really effective. And then, after his two-year internship was over, we never paid him… Sometimes sports is cruel.”
If San Francisco were to pass on Purdy, they would need to luck into a quarterback with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Seeing as there are numerous QB-needy teams ahead of them, it seems unlikely that they would be able to secure a competent signal caller.
Cowherd did mention that Aaron Rodgers could prove to be a viable option for the 49ers, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have the head start on those negotiations. The Green Bay legend could prove to be of immediate use to a franchise that is hoping to extend its championship window, but Rodgers would prove to be a temporary solution at best, seeing as he is set to turn 42 years old at the end of this year.
Suffice to say, Purdy currently stands as the 49ers’ most viable option for a long term. Taking a risk on the open market yields no certainties, and it would also leave the team at risk of wasting the twilight years of Christian McCaffrey’s career.
Unless the front office can add more leverage than likes of Mac Jones, they’ll have to contend with the fact that Purdy provides them with the best chance at winning right now.
