aAfter leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie last season and then taking them all the way to this Sunday’s Super Bowl, quarterback Brock Purdy has made a mockery of the “Mr. Irrelevant”that hit him as the 262nd – and final – overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
This past regular season, the 24-year-old ranked fifth in total passing yards (4,280) – one spot higher than his upcoming Super Bowl opponent Patrick Mahomes (4,183) – third in passing touchdowns (31 – and once again bested Mahomes , which had 27) and first in passer rating (113.0).
Purdy’s level of play puts him among the NFL’s best at his position. He has proven to be anything but irrelevant. Yet his annual salary is still commensurate with his modest initial roster. And that’s a huge advantage for the 49ers.
Since Purdy took over the starting quarterback role in Jimmy Garoppolo’s Kyle Shanahan offense midway through last season, the Niners have a record, including postseason play, of 21 wins and just five losses. They finished the 2023 regular season as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, with a 12-5 record.
His total compensation for the season – salary plus bonuses – amounted to $870,000which was the lowest of any quarterback entering Week 1.
Only two others – Desmond Ridder of the Atlanta Falcons ($949,000) and Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders ($870,000) – also made less than $1 million per year (we are legally required to note here that $870,000 per year is very good money ). in almost every other walk of life). Ridder battled with backup Taylor Heinicke for the starting role in Atlanta through the second half of the season and is unlikely to be the Falcons’ No. 1 quarterback in 2024. And Howell will almost certainly be usurped in Washington, with the Commanders owning the second overall pick in this year’s draft and reportedly considering a new quarterback.
Purdy, meanwhile, narrowly led Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens in the race to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Mahomes, which earned $59.4 million (the vast majority of which came from signing and roster bonuses) for the 2023 regular season, had already surpassed Purdy this year by the time he left the field after the Chiefs’ 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1.
Each win Purdy led the 49ers into this regular season cost the team just $72,500. Each of his 31 touchdown passes cost $28,065. And every passing yard he threw only netted the team $203.28. In contrast, Mahomes’ cost per regular season win was $5.94 million (he missed their last game). His touchdown passes were $2.2 million each. His passing cost the Chiefs $14,200 per yard.
Even Dak Prescott, who led the NFL in passing touchdowns, cost the Dallas Cowboys $861,111 every time he found the end zone. Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards, but at a cost per yard of $1,016 for the Miami Dolphins. Jackson was the only 13-man quarterback to start more regular-season wins than Purdy in 2023. But when you factor in the Baltimore star’s annual salary and sizable signing bonus, his league-leading $80 million earnings mean each win is the highest prize costs. Raven $6.15 million.
In a vacuum, these numbers may not mean much; the Chiefs are happy to pay Mahomes big bucks because his ridiculous talent has led them to the Super Bowl in four of the past five seasons. But Purdy and Mahomes play in a league with a hard salary cap, which means the 49ers’ money not who pay their quarterback can be spent on talent elsewhere.
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The 49ers have an all-league roster of players in each division. At the skill positions, they have superstar pass catchers in receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, plus MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey at running back. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is an eight-time Pro Bowler and Trent Williams is the best offensive tackle in the NFL. The defensive unit features two-time Pro Bowl selection Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle and elite-level linebackers in Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, while defensive end Nick Bosa is one of the most feared edge rushers in the game.
McCaffrey and Juszczyk are the highest-paid players at their respective positions, while Warner, Kittle and Williams are all in the top five among them, with Samuel ranked seventh among wide receivers and Hargrave sixth among defensive linemen.
Allowing Purdy to produce at such a high level on such a low salary allows San Francisco to take an approach to squad building that shouldn’t be possible within the confines of the salary cap. Plus, with two years left on the quarterback’s current deal, it’s sustainable, leaving their chances as Super Bowl contenders wide open in the mid-term regardless of Sunday’s outcome.
Even with incremental annual salary increases, the $1.1 million Purdy will make in the fourth and final season of his deal is still about just 5% of the NFL average for a starting quarterback.
By selecting Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 draft, the 49ers not only landed a future franchise quarterback, but probably the best-priced contract in all of sports.