Is Brock Purdy a Top Tier Quarterback?

Second-tier quarterbacks get paid tons of money -- just look at Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins. But they don't win Super Bowls when they get paid tons of money because they can't live up to their ridiculous contracts.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) looks to pass | Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers are prepared to make Brock Purdy the highest-paid player in the NFL next year when he's eligible for a contract extension.

Once upon a time, the 49ers made Jimmy Garoppolo the highest-paid player in the NFL, a decision that backfired on them because he never became a top-tier quarterback. At best, he was a second-tier quarterback when healthy. Now, he's a backup quarterback.

Second-tier quarterbacks get paid tons of money -- just look at Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins. But they don't win Super Bowls when they get paid tons of money because they can't live up to their ridiculous contracts.

So what tier is Purdy in -- tier 1 or tier 2?

Let's list all the quarterbacks who are firmly in tier 1: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, C.J. Stroud and Aaron Rogers. Those are the seven best quarterbacks in the world, the seven quarterbacks who would deserve to be the highest-paid player in the league at any given time.

Here's tier 2 (in no particular order): Prescott, Cousins, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray.

You could argue that Purdy is near the top of tier 2 because of his mobility and leadership, but he's not a tier 1 quarterback yet. And he may never become one. He simply lacks physical talent. As opposed to Justin Herbert and Jordan Love, who could replace Stafford and Rodgers as tier 1 quarterbacks when those two decline.

As long as Purdy is a tier 2 quarterback, the 49ers shouldn't pay him what the market says he's worth. It's too much.