Quarterback Brock Purdy was a key reason why the San Francisco 49ers dropped Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After two weeks of getting the job done with backup QB Mac Jones, the first loss of the season can be directly placed on the shoulders of the $265 million signal-caller.
Although Purdy passed for over 300 yards and tossed two touchdowns on the day, he recorded two interceptions while finishing with a 57.9% completion rate and 79.8 passer rating. Mistakes happen all the time, but the fact that he now has four INTs in two starts is concerning. Purdy is hardly delivering on lofty expectations after being handed his mega-extension, and he has to turn things around before things worsen.
Brock Purdy's Early Struggles Should Concern 49ers
The fact that San Francisco is stuck no matter what happens throughout the 2025 season is a major downside to handing out nine-figure contracts. Purdy is the 49ers' starting quarterback through 2030 as long as he is healthy. The front office and coaching staff have no choice but to trust the process and hope that their 25-year-old QB will return to the form that earned his extension in the first place.
He's now up to 586 passing yards with four TDs, four INTs, and an 85.8 passer rating in two starts. His 63.3 overall grade is only the 33rd-best among 49 QBs on Pro Football Focus, while his 59.8 passing grade is only the 36th-best mark at his position. That's just not good enough for someone who holds one of the NFL's biggest contracts.
Purdy is still playing out his rookie deal, so his struggles aren't as ugly as they could be. Having said that, his cap hit will jump up to $24.7 million in 2026, per Spotrac, before increasing annually until it reaches $72.5 million in 2029. A lot can happen between now and when the deal is over; however, it's clear that the contract won't be as palatable as long as Purdy keeps throwing as many INTs as he does touchdown passes.
Sunday was Purdy's first game back from injury, so there's an outside chance that his lackluster performance can be chalked up to some rust. He can't use that excuse every week, though, meaning if there is an issue that isn't injury-related, the 49ers must solve it quickly.
The 49ers are in a three-way tie with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams for the NFC West lead, and Thursday's showdown with the Rams could decide who controls the division for the foreseeable future. Purdy can erase a lot of the doubts surrounding him if he has a clean performance against L.A., especially if he leads San Francisco to another victory.