Big Extension Means More Pressure for 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy

In a sense, Brock Purdy has been the most coddled quarterback in the NFL the past few seasons.

Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

In a sense, Brock Purdy has been the most coddled quarterback in the NFL the past few seasons.

He earned his starting job -- that's for sure. But since he became a starter, he has been almost immune to criticism because of his meager contract and status as Mr. Irrelevant. You can't really knock him for his mistakes when he gets paid $900,000 per season.

So when he had a great season in 2023, he finished fourth in the MVP voting even though at best he was the sixth-best player on the 49ers offense.

Now, he's the highest-paid player in franchise history and the seventh-highest-paid player in the league. And with more money comes more pressure according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

"It was an offseason of change in San Francisco, where the 49ers said goodbye to receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and a couple of key defensive stars," writes Graziano. "The Niners are carrying more than $92 million in dead money on their cap this season for players no longer on the roster, as they decided to use 2025 to reset their spending while granting a five-year, $265 million contract to Purdy.

"The whole plan indicates that they'll be asking even more of Purdy, who has been more than they ever could have expected when they took him with the last pick of the 2022 draft. This roster still has Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, so it's not like it's all on Purdy's shoulders. But this offseason of change is a sign of things to come. Those guys won't all be around forever, and the pivot into the future will depend on Purdy's ability to continue to deliver as a high-level franchise QB -- even as the pieces around him shift and change".

Here's the problem with the 49ers' plan: Since Purdy entered the league, his record is 17-4 and he has 38 touchdown passes and just 8 interceptions when Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams all play. When one or more of them are out, Purdy's record falls to 10-11 and he has 30 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions.

Purdy never has shown that he can carry a team -- not in college and not in the NFL. And that's what he's going to have to do now that he gets paid so much money.

Good luck.