San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has signed a five-year extension worth $265 million, a deal which includes $181 million in guarantees.
That is a massive leap from the rookie contract that paid him an average of $853,333 per season ... as he is now the the highest-paid player in franchise history.
There is "pressure'' that comes with such a deal.
But there is also "power.''
To the former ...
ESPN writes: "The Niners -- for better or worse -- are now in Purdy's hands. ... and it's up to him to deliver at a level commensurate with being the seventh highest-paid quarterback in the NFL (on a per-year basis).
"Purdy must prove he is, as 49ers owner Jed York called him at the league meetings in March, one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league.
"The inherent implication in Purdy's new deal is that the onus falls on him to be the type of force multiplier who can raise the production of those around him and usher in a new era of 49ers football with him at the forefront.''
In other words, "pressure'' ... times three.
Of course, there are no promises, no guarantees, made when it comes to the subject of success.
There are, however, guarantees in the contract - and not just 181 million of them.
NFL Network has revealed that Purdy's deal also includes a "no-trade clause,'' that is, the right to veto any 49ers' attempt to trade him over the course of his deal here.
"As part of his five-year, $265-million extension, 49ers QB Brock Purdy received a full no-trade clause for the duration of the deal, sources tell The Insiders," NFL Network writes. "Purdy gets financial security and control over his future in a deal that will be finalized and official soon."
We've seen this contract feature labeled as "shocking.''
We politely disagree.
A quick check demonstrates that Purdy is now in a group of QBs, joining the likes of Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins - who have that clause in their contracts.
Are the 49ers "under fire'' for including Purdy? Not really, and here's one of the reasons why: This is basically veto power. And it is "power.'' But yet ... why would any team ever trade for a starting quarterback who doesn’t want to go to that team?
We're not saying it's window-dressing.
But we are saying it's not at all "shocking.''
Purdy, the former seventh-rounder turned franchise quarterback, is 23-13 as a starter and has had plenty of playoff success (a 4-2 record) over his first three years.
There is no vision of him leaving The Bay any time soon.
What is the vision? It re-launches in 2025, with Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams and other starters healthy enough to make a run with a $53 million QB as a the hub of the wheel.