Brock Purdy Details How 49ers Contract Talks Unfolded After Historic $265M Extension

Just over three years to the day that he was the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Brock Purdy solidified his long-term future as the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when he signed a five-year, $265 million extension in May.

Shortly before his fourth season in the NFL begins, Purdy discussed with ESPN's Nick Wagoner how his offseason talks with the 49ers led to him signing the richest contract in franchise history.

One thing Purdy said his camp emphasized was not necessarily feeling pressure to surpass Dak Prescott's average annual salary of $60 million, but rather the guaranteed money since that's what a player is most likely to receive:

"Everyone talks about what you're getting paid per year and that's important to a degree, but obviously if you can manage to get money that's guaranteed, that's something that everyone values a lot. We didn't need to break the market by getting 60-plus and have all this record-breaking stuff. That's not what we were aiming for."

Wagoner noted Purdy's team put together a presentation for 49ers' officials that featured his stats and accolades compared to other highly-paid quarterbacks, including Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence.

Purdy also explained that he saw Josh Allen's new deal with the Buffalo Bills (six years, $330 million), which was considered a discount, and used it to help influence his decision:

"Josh Allen was going into his third contract, and I'm going into my second contract and obviously looking at Trevor and what he got done last year with his deal. You look at contracts and you compare, and you're not disrespecting any [other quarterbacks] or anything. ... You look at all those things and you negotiate 'em and you try to meet in the middle somewhere."

One of the final steps in the negotiating process was a phone call from Kyle Shanahan in April that was used to reassure Purdy as the team was still trying to iron out details in the contract.

"I just wanted to give him some clarity," Shanahan said. "I hope by me kind of reassuring him of that, it would kind of take the edge off and the pressure off. ... And I just wanted to assure him that [the negotiation] wasn't going to change anything."

Unlike past years, when the 49ers have had prolonged contract standoffs with key players, Purdy's situation turned out to be relatively drama-free. His deal was done in mid-May and seems good for both sides.

Purdy is now one of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL by total value and tied for seventh in average annual salary ($53 million). The 49ers made a huge investment in the 25-year-old, but they didn't have to break the bank for him in a way that was assumed at one point.

The next step in the process will be for Purdy to lead the 49ers back to the playoffs coming off a 2024 season that was ruined in large part because of injuries to several key players.

After advancing to the Super Bowl during the 2023 season, the Niners finished 6-11 last season. It was their first time missing the playoffs since 2020.

Given the circumstances that he was playing with in 2024, Purdy had arguably his best season in the NFL. He threw for 3,864 yards and 20 touchdowns in 15 games. The Iowa State alum ranked seventh in ESPN's QBR metric (67.9).

Purdy and the 49ers will open the 2025 season against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sept. 7.