In a move that marks the end of an era and the start of another, the San Francisco 49ers have massively committed to quarterback Brock Purdy. The former last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, famously dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant,” is now the highest-paid player in franchise history.
Brock Purdy has signed a five-year, $265 million deal, including $181 million in guaranteed money. With an average salary of $53 million per year, the deal firmly establishes the 49ers’ belief that he is their franchise quarterback — not just for today, but well into the next decade.
The question now isn’t whether Brock Purdy earned the deal — it’s whether he can live up to it.
BREAKING: 49ers and QB Brock Purdy agree to terms on a five-year, $265M contract extension, including $181M in total guarantees. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/X9rbw300WN
— NFL (@NFL) May 16, 2025
Brock Purdy’s $265M Contract Signals a New Era in San Francisco
When the San Francisco 49ers selected Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they believed they had found their franchise quarterback of the future. Their strategy was simple: build a dominant roster around a cheap, rookie-contract quarterback and contend for Super Bowls. Ironically, the formula worked — just not with the quarterback they expected.
Fast forward to 2025, and it is Brock Purdy—the final pick of the 2022 draft, who has secured that title, both in position and pay. The 49ers’ strategy of building a dominant roster around a quarterback on a rookie contract did pay off. It just wasn’t with the quarterback they originally planned for.
Brock Purdy has now signed a five-year, $265 million deal with $181 million in guarantees, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history and the seventh highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by average annual value. The 49ers’ rookie-contract window is officially closed, and the weight of expectation now sits squarely on Purdy’s shoulders. The future of San Francisco football runs through him.
From Rookie Bargain to Franchise Cornerstone: San Francisco Bets Big
Brock Purdy, selected 262nd overall in 2022, took over as a starter late that year and never looked back. Purdy stepped into a starting role due to injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. He led the team to two NFC Championship appearances and nearly delivered the 49ers their sixth Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVIII.
“We made him the last pick of the draft and it’s served us well,” general manager John Lynch said.
With a salary averaging $853,333 annually across his rookie contract, Purdy provided one of the best returns on investment in sports. Over his first three NFL seasons, he earned a total of $2.6 million—ranking 76th among quarterbacks. But that bargain era is over.
Now, that financial window has closed.
Brock Purdy’s new contract will pay him more per week ($2.9 million) than he earned across his first three seasons combined. The 49ers are now firmly committed to him through the 2030 season, betting big that he can not only return to his 2023 Pro Bowl form but also elevate his play regardless of the supporting cast.
With his deal now done, the 49ers have exited the rare financial luxury of fielding an elite roster around a cheap quarterback. That shift has already reshaped the team’s outlook.
The 49ers didn’t just pay Purdy — they paid a price across the roster to make it happen. The massive contract comes with significant salary cap implications. The team enters 2025 carrying a league-high $81 million in dead money on the 2025 salary cap—the highest in the NFL, thanks to offseason decisions made in anticipation of Purdy’s deal.
Key contributors such as cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and guard Aaron Banks departed in free agency. The team released defensive linemen Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd. On the offensive side, they also traded away WR Deebo Samuel Sr. and RB Jordan Mason.
Despite the cost, the message from the top is clear: Brock Purdy is the franchise.
Instead of high-priced free agents, the team will lean heavily on 11 drafted rookies and bargain-bin veterans to fill the holes.
Neither Lynch, nor head coach Kyle Shanahan, nor team owner Jed York shied away from the reasoning.
“You need to be certain on that,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “If you pay a quarterback and if that’s not who you’re certain about then it’s not going to be very fun after that.“
“I think he’s great,” owner Jed York said. “Especially when you combine him with Kyle and you combine him with what we have and he’s a heck of a quarterback. And we want him to be here for a long, long time.”
Purdy’s Performance: A Statistical Case for Belief
Since taking over as starter in Week 13 of 2022, Brock Purdy has ranked among the NFL’s best in several key categories:
- 4th among all quarterbacks in QBR: 70.2
- 3rd in Passing Yards: 9,452
- 1st in Yards Per Attempt: 8.9
- 7th in Touchdown Passes: 64
Even during a trying 2024 campaign, Purdy finished with a 68.0 QBR (7th), 3,864 passing yards (10th), and 8.5 yards per attempt (3rd). He also recorded a career-high 323 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Injuries to key offensive weapons — Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, knee), Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Trent Williams (ankle), George Kittle (hamstring), and Deebo Samuel (calf, illness, ribs) — heavily impacted Purdy’s output.
The 2024 season, which ended with a 6-11 record, exposed some of Purdy’s limitations. In bad-weather games, his efficiency plummeted. He struggled in inclement weather and posted a 1.7 touchdown-to-interception ratio—ranking 23rd in the league, down from 2.8 the year before, in 2023. He also ranked 20th in fourth-quarter QBR (54.6) when trailing in the fourth quarter, throwing just three touchdowns to five interceptions in those situations.
These struggles underscore the challenge ahead. With his new contract, Brock Purdy must now be the type of quarterback who elevates his team — not just benefits from it.
In contrast to lengthy negotiations with stars like Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams in years past, Purdy’s deal was relatively smooth. The quarterback reported for offseason workouts and repeatedly expressed his desire to get a deal done swiftly and respectfully. By draft week, Lynch noted that conversations were headed in a “good direction.”
Negotiations between Lynch and Purdy’s camp began to accelerate around the NFL Draft, and by mid-May, the deal was finalized. The smooth process was more reminiscent of Jimmy Garoppolo’s 2018 extension, which at the time made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
It all came together in May, long before training camp, ensuring that Brock Purdy could fully participate in team activities.
“I think we’re going to get the deal done,” Lynch had said on March 31. “That’s what I believe. We’ll just leave it at that.”
“More than anything for me, I want to be able to handle business the right way and do it in a respectable manner and get back to my team as fast as I can to get going,” Purdy said on Jan. 6, reported by ESPN. “That’s my mindset, my focus. And obviously I want to help the team across the board with all the other guys who need to get their deals done, but everybody will handle it the right way and how they need to.”
Easier Schedule, Bigger Expectations in 2025
If ever there was a year for Purdy to bounce back, it’s 2025. The 49ers are projected to have the easiest schedule in the NFL based on 2024 opponents’ records. The team is banking on the return of McCaffrey, Aiyuk, and Williams from injuries. Health will be key; if McCaffrey, Aiyuk, and Williams return to full strength, Brock Purdy will again have one of the league’s best supporting casts.
The offense will also retain George Kittle, who just inked a four-year extension to remain a cornerstone of the unit.
A return to the Super Bowl—to be played at Levi’s Stadium next February—may be a lofty expectation given the offseason departures, but a deep playoff run is expected.
Purdy, for his part, is ready to deliver.
“I want to be in San Francisco and play my football career here,” Purdy said. “I know that I’m the guy for this organization and that I can do what it takes to help lead us where we want to go.“
Veteran leaders including Fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, and George Kittle, have all voiced their support for Purdy’s long-term deal. Shanahan and Lynch doubled down on their belief in the 24-year-old signal-caller.
Kittle’s recent extension further solidifies that this new era of 49ers football is being built around Brock Purdy.
The commitment was mutual from the beginning. As the locker room emptied following a tough 2024 season, Purdy remained vocal about his desire to remain a 49er for the long haul.
“Brock is the leader of our team,” Shanahan said, Jan 8, reported by ESPN. “I’ve loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here. Brock’s been a stud. He’s a guy I’ve got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he’s done in the field these last two and a half years and [we’re] capable of winning a Super Bowl with him. We just almost did. And I know he is capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future.”
In addition to Purdy’s mega-deal, the 49ers made a move on the special teams front, signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph to a one-year deal. He’ll compete with 2023 third-rounder Jake Moody, who struggled last year, going 11-of-20 on field goals after returning from a high ankle sprain.
The 49ers have made it clear: no spot is guaranteed, and every player will have to earn their place in this new chapter of San Francisco football.
It’s a small but necessary move to solidify a unit that faltered in tight games.
Final Verdict: Time to Deliver
The 49ers are no longer the team with the best bargain at quarterback. The 49ers have spent the last three years talking about Brock Purdy as their quarterback of the future. Now, they’ve made it official — and extremely expensive. This $265 million extension isn’t just a reward for past performance; it’s an investment in what’s to come.
Brock Purdy must now prove what Jed York confidently stated: that he’s a top-10 quarterback in the NFL.
2025 is the beginning of a new chapter in San Francisco. The pressure is real, the support is there, and Brock Purdy has been given everything he asked for. Now it’s up to him to prove that he’s not just the quarterback of the future — he’s the quarterback of right now.
Can Brock Purdy remain efficient without an All-Pro defense behind him? Can he improve in weather, lead comebacks, and win games when the script breaks? Most importantly, can he lead this reshaped roster to its elusive sixth Super Bowl?
San Francisco has bet big — not just on Brock Purdy’s arm, but on his heart, brain, and resilience.
“I want to be in San Francisco and play my football career here,” Brock Purdy said. “I know that I’m the guy for this organization and that I can do what it takes to help lead us where we want to go.”
Time to prove it.
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