The San Francisco 49ers had plenty of drama this offseason surrounding quarterback Brock Purdy. With the 25-year-old seeking a new contract, the 49ers had to make the difficult decision to trade Deebo Samuel and let several free agents walk. But that drama ended when Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension earlier this month.
While George Kittle and Fred Warner also received extensions to remain in San Francisco, it doesn’t appear that everyone is happy. Some new drama surfaced when the personal coach of a 49ers receiver coach made some controversial comments and opened a new can of worms just as the team reports to OTAs this week.
Brandon Aiyuk’s Personal Coach Creates More Brock Purdy Drama Ahead of OTAs
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh appeared on FS1’s “Speak” on Monday and discussed Purdy’s new contract. While he admitted that Purdy “is a hell of a quarterback,” he also believes that the 49ers overpaid Purdy based on the 6-11 record he posted last season and isn’t capable of carrying a team by himself.
"I believe they did overpay for Brock Purdy," Houshmandzadeh said. "I would have given Brock Purdy $47 million a year. That would have been the most I’m giving him. We needed you last year. You went 1-6 against playoff teams. We had guys hurt – Christian McCaffrey was out, Trent Williams was out, Brandon Aiyuk got hurt – and you couldn’t really get it done.
"I think Purdy is a hell of a quarterback, but I’m not giving you money when you’ve shown me that when we need you to take over, you can’t take over. When we need you to carry us, you can’t carry us. But at one point, they said [Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts] is overpaid. Now, Jalen Hurts is underpaid because he won a Super Bowl with the Eagles. If Purdy takes the 49ers to the Super Bowl and they win it, then his contract is well worth it. Until he does that, he’s overpaid."
Houshmandzadeh’s comments sound like the typical comments that a former player would make on a debate show. But they’re even more notable considering he’s Brandon Aiyuk’s personal coach. The comments became more glaring when Houshmandzadeh made comments about his client’s contract negotiations last offseason before he signed a four-year, $120 million extension.
These comments also feel tone deaf considering what Purdy has done in his career. Purdy led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2023, and San Francisco could have won if Kyle Shanahan understood the league’s overtime rules. In addition, Purdy ranks second in passing yards (9,518), touchdowns (64), and tied for third in interception percentage (2.5%) for a 49ers quarterback in the first three years of his career.
Of course, the argument is that the infrastructure has propelled Purdy to those numbers. But his ability to get the ball in Aiyuk’s hands helped him get his payday last offseason.
Maybe Houshmandzadeh is upset over reports that the 49ers tried to trade Aiyuk one year after signing his contract. However, his comments are sure to create an interesting conversation as players show up for offseason workouts.