The San Francisco 49ers struck gold when they selected Brock Purdy with the final pick of the seventh round in the 2022 NFL Draft as it gave the franchise a starter on as team-friendly of a deal that is possible at the most important position on the field.
Since being given the distinction of "Mr. Irrelevant" after being the last overall pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy owns a record of 23-13 as a starter and helped lead the Niners to a berth in Super Bowl LVIII where they, unfortunately, suffered a 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
This season, Purdy is set to earn just over $5 million from San Francisco which still makes him one of the biggest bargains in the league. However, the former Iowa State Cyclones standout will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2025 season and should command a significant raise in pay, from the 49ers or some other franchise.
With that being the case, one of San Francisco's division rivals shared what he felt Purdy was worth on the open market while noting that the Pro Bowl quarterback is smart enough to know that a massive payday is on the horizon while still allowing the 49ers front office to build as competitive of a roster as possible around him.
During a recent appearance on Julian Edelman's "Games with Names," podcast, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua said he doesn't believe that Purdy is destined to join the exclusive club of quarterbacks making $50 million or more per season.
“He seems like a smart guy,” Nacua said of Purdy, per Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. “They have a chance to still be in their window and I think if he goes for a five, the window closes.”
As much as it will pain San Francisco fans to admit it, Nacua raises a good point as anytime you can save even a marginal amount of money on a quarterback it provides the franchise with more opportunities to invest in other areas of need.
We'll find out soon enough what sort of deal Purdy ultimately agrees to but if the Niners are able to convince him to take a deal closer to the $45 million per year mark, as Nacua suggested, then it will only help their chances of continuing to compete for league titles.
That will all get figured out in due time though. The one thing that San Francisco fans can know for sure is that Purdy and his cap number of just over $5.3 million for the 2025 season is still one of the best bargains in the NFL.