Brock Purdy's five-year, $265 million extension with the 49ers is grabbing headlines during the current lull in the NFL offseason—and for good reason, as “Mr. Irrelevant’s” path from the last pick in the draft in 2022 to generational wealth in 2025 is a story where facts outweigh fiction.
Signing his contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers was a life-changing event for Purdy, who famously lived with roommates to minimize expenses prior to his marriage last year, but his “massive extension” didn’t “reset the market”—rather, it fell neatly in line with the market and analyst expectations.
Contract specifics have yet to be released, but his advertised five-year, $265 million extension—once the fuzzy math is removed—will likely be revealed as a new six-year, $270 million contract, lowering his Average Annual Value (AAV) from $53 million to $45 million —or, in quarterback terms, from Jared Goff to Kirk Cousins.
Still, it’s a life-changing deal with a reported $100 million in full guarantees, cementing Purdy among the NFL's highest-paid signal callers—a status that matches his impact and production, as well as the 49ers' faith in him as the team’s long-term starting quarterback.
For Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, the primary significance of Purdy’s contract isn't its size or structure, but that it provides a clear negotiation benchmark for Stroud during a time when the NFL lacks additional young franchise quarterback comparators.
The 2020 NFL Draft produced an impressive group of quarterbacks, including Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, and Jordan Love—all of whom have since secured top-dollar deals. But the following years resulted in an NFL quarterback wasteland.
The 2021 NFL Draft was originally hyped as quarterback-rich but never came close to its pre-draft narrative. Early first-rounders Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones are now each rostered on their third respective NFL teams, while Wilson and Lance have struggled to retain spots on any NFL roster. Even Trevor Lawrence—the latest “generational QB” who was “as close to a sure thing as you can have”—while being paid like one, has yet to consistently play like one.
The 2022 draft class was even weaker, highlighted by lone first-round QB selection Kenny Pickett, who is currently engaged in a four-man competition for three roster spots for the NFL’s worst passing team in 2024, the Cleveland Browns. Aside from Purdy, Packers backup Malik Willis may be the best current signal caller in this class—particularly under Matt LaFluer in Green Bay.
Even Stroud's QB class has failed to meet expectations, aside from the Texans’ QB himself. Although Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson have the tools and have shown promise, Stroud remains the lone quarterback from his class to establish himself as a reliable starter—who also wasn’t benched last season.
The lack of emerging talent over the NFL’s three-year QB drought leaves Stroud in a unique position as the next young NFL QB to realistically command a "franchise quarterback" extension. However, under league rules, the Texans are unable to negotiate an extension with Stroud until the conclusion of the upcoming season, leaving the 2025 campaign as a key opportunity for Stroud to establish his true value before contract negotiations begin.
After an outstanding Offensive Rookie of the Year season, Stroud took a step back in 2024, with dips in production and efficiency. Stroud’s sophomore slump is easily explainable, given injuries and protection issues, but drops in key metrics like Expected Points Added (EPA)—his +35.3 EPA ranked seventh in 2023, but his -42.3 EPA was No. 28 among QBs last season—are likely to become sticking points during negotiations if left unaddressed.
Recognizing the need to support their young quarterback, the Texans added receiving talentvia the draft, and made modifications along the offensive line—although the changes in Stroud’s protection have not been well received.
Stroud’s performance during the Texans’ 2025 season will determine whether his extension falls in line with Purdy's contract benchmark for NFL franchise quarterbacks, or if his camp will aim to break the $60 million ceiling when negotiations begin.
Purdy’s contract isn’t a market-shattering deal, but the extension was what Stroud needed. Now, the rest is up to him. And if Houston’s quarterback can deliver for the Texans by returning to his rookie form, in a year’s time, C.J. Stroud could be the highest-paid player in the NFL.