When quarterback Brock Purdy was clearing out his locker in January after the San Francisco 49ers missed the NFL playoffs, he was asked about his upcoming contract talks.
“I want to get it done quick,” Purdy said. “I’m not the kind of guy that wants to have any kind of drama associated with anything.”
Purdy and the 49ers agreed to a reported five-year, $265 million extension Friday, ahead of the team’s first full-squad practice of the offseason on May 27.
The deal signals Purdy’s ascension from Mr. Irrelevant — the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — to franchise cornerstone.
What Purdy accomplished during his rookie contract might rival that of Tom Brady, whom the Iowa State product beat in his first NFL start in Week 14 of the 2022 season.
In 2023, his first full year as a starter, Purdy guided the 49ers to the Super Bowl. He led the league in quarterback rating (113.0), ranked third in touchdown passes (31), and finished fifth in passing yards (4,280). He came in fourth in MVP voting.
“We made him the last pick of the draft, and it’s served us well,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said.
Last season didn’t go as planned, but that was hardly Purdy’s fault. Contract holdouts by offensive tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk weren’t resolved until nearly the eve of the opener. Injuries to running back Christian McCaffrey and Aiyuk kept the 49ers from ever really finding a rhythm during a 6-11 campaign.
That was one reason Purdy didn’t want to waste time getting a contract extension signed.
“I’m not really sure what it’s all going to look like or entail,” Purdy said in January. “But I know that I’m the guy for this organization, and I can do what it takes to help lead us to where we want to go.”
Purdy made an average of $934,000 annually during his rookie contract, so the 49ers were forced to make several offseason moves to accommodate his new deal — which includes $181 million in guarantees and will make him the seventh-highest-paid player in the NFL in terms of average annual value at $53 million.
The 49ers traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel to Washington and let offensive guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga depart in free agency, among others.
“When you make the decision that you want to pay a quarterback that has obviously been underpaid for his first three seasons in the NFL,” 49ers owner Jed York told ESPN last month, “when you make that change, you have to make sacrifices somewhere.”
With a strong draft — particularly on defense — and Purdy locked into a new deal, oddsmakers expect the 49ers to return to the top of the NFC West.
At the very least, they’ll seemingly be going into the season drama-free, just how Purdy prefers it.
“Brock is the leader of our team,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after last season. “I’ve loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here.”
