The San Francisco 49ers had one specific goal above all heading into the offseason: extend Brock Purdy. Overall, they have sought after a cheaper and younger roster as they reload in Year 9 of the Kyle Shanahan era.
But locking down their franchise quarterback trumped all other agenda items. They finally inked the deal just weeks ago, coming to terms on a five-year, $265 million dollar contract.
Purdy has been nothing short of a surprise, rising from Round 7 afterthought to becoming an integral piece for one of the league's storied franchises. However, some remain very critical of the Niners' quarterback despite the evidence of his first three seasons.
It's no secret that Purdy landed in a pretty opportunistic situation in Shanahan's offense with other talented pieces around him. And that is the subject of the scorn thrown at Purdy unlike any other quarterback in a competitive situation.
The latest comes from former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh who believes Purdy should have done more last season to prove himself worthy of the extension he secured.
"I believe they did overpay for Brock Purdy," Houshmandzadeh said on FS1's "Speak". "I would have given Brock Purdy $47M a year. That would have been the most I'm giving him. We needed you last year. You went 1-6 against playoff teams when we had guys hurt."
The Niners' putrid 6-11 campaign was a far cry from the dominant power they had built in Purdy's first two seasons with the team. His own numbers reflected that, dipping from the impressive line of 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns he had back in 2023.
But that last line reveals the biggest piece Houshmandzadeh seems to be ignoring here. Injuries killed the Niners prospects last season, just like they would with any other team in the league.
In a weird twist, by the way, T.J. happens to have a background as a personal coach of Brandon Aiyuk. Maybe that's why he says "we'' here?
In any event ...
A select few quarterbacks are able to handle such a load just to make it to the postseason. In most instances though, the litany of injuries the Niners experienced spell the end of any competitive hopes.
However, now that Purdy has earned the big contract, there is undoubtedly more pressure on him to continue proving himself while expanding on his game as well.