“Brock Purdy’s Probably Worth More”: Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson React To the 49ers QB’s New $265 Million Contract

There’s no doubt that Brock Purdy took a step back last year. He and the San Francisco 49ers as a whole did have to deal with a lot of injury issues on both sides of the ball, but still, the QB’s performance left a lot to be desired. All of his stats plummeted from the previous year, and the 49ers went just 6-9. But that didn’t stop the team from handing him a massive contract.

And why should it? Purdy may have had a rough go in 2024, but he’s got a more stacked resume than a handful of guys that are getting $50+ million a year now. On Friday, Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million contract that includes $181 million in guarantees. His total contract value ranks 5th in the NFL, his $53 million AAV ranks 7th, and his total guarantees rank 8th.

Many have criticized the move by the 49ers, considering Purdy’s limited body of work and tough campaign last year. However, on their Nightcap YouTube show, Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson argued that Purdy’s deal is right where it should be. Sharpe said that, much like a $40 million mansion in Bel-Air, the going rate for starting QBs is $50+ million. So if you want it, that’s what you’ll have to pay to get it.

“A starting quarterback in the NFL that’s gone to a Super Bowl, he’s gone to two NFC Championships, that’s what you’re going to have to pay to keep him. It’s really that simple. All that, ‘Man, he ain’t worth that!’ You’re worth what somebody will pay for you!”

Johnson agreed and went even further, saying that Purdy fit really well into the offense Kyle Shanahan has built over the last few years. And speaking of Shanahan, Sharpe believes that, because Purdy helped save his and general manager John Lynch’s jobs, the $53 million is actually kind of a bargain.

“Actually, he’s probably worth more because he saved Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s job. Because they invested all that money in Trey Lance. They gave up all that draft capital to get Trey Lance. They took this man as Mr. Irrelevant with the last pick in the seventh round. Now, if you don’t take him, and you got Trey Lance, and you done moved on from Trey Lance, you gone! You gone.”

Sharpe’s line of logic is more than plausible here, and it would be interesting to know if Purdy’s agent or team ever brought up that aspect of the relationship during negotiations. It feels unlikely, but that would’ve been quite the power move by the QB’s camp.

However, now that they’ve paid Purdy, they don’t have the salary cap advantage of a $1 million QB anymore. With that new Purdy deal, they are now spending over $200 million on just seven players. That’s 72 percent of the current cap on the Magnificent 7, which leaves them with crumbs for the other 46 players on the 53-man roster.

Luckily for them, all seven of those guys should be fully healthy and recovered from the ailments that kept them out for various stretches during the 2024 season. And on top of that, the 49ers have the cupcake of all cupcake schedules in 2025.

They play both the NFC and the AFC South, the two worst divisions in football. And their schedule is the easiest both by 2024 win-loss records as well as projected 2025 win-loss records. This 2025 season could be the swan song for this 49ers core. And they seem like they’ve got the perfect path to make that song a triumphant one.