How the 49ers Will Structure Brock Purdy's Contract Extension
Brock Purdy's contract extension probably won't be nearly as expensive as it seems.
Had he been eligible for an extension last year when he was coming off a Super Bowl appearance and a fourth-place MVP season, he would have gotten much more money. But now he's coming off a six-win season and suddenly his resume doesn't look nearly as strong. When he had an opportunity to show that he could lead the team without the help of Christian McCaffrey, he flopped.
The 49ers say they still want Purdy to be their quarterback for the foreseeable future. So here's how they can structure his extension.
They can structure it similarly to how the Packers structured Love's extension. Technically, it's a four-year, $220 million contract worth $55 million per season. But the final season is not guaranteed and his salary cap number is $75 million. So they'll either cut him or extend his contract again before the final season of his current season.
Which means Love's contract really is a three-year, $110 million deal. And I expect the 49ers will offer Purdy something similar to that. And I expect he'll accept it.
Purdy isn't in a position to hold out or ask for more than a year or two of guaranteed money. If he wanted a better deal, he should have led the offense to more than six points in their Week 15 do-or-die game against the Los Angeles Rams. He made himself much cheaper this season.