The San Francisco 49ers gave Brock Purdy the largest raise for any quarterback in NFL history.
They signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $265 million, including $181 million guaranteed.
Now, it’s time he pays that back with production on the field.
Talking to former NFL lineman Ephraim Salaam on “The Odd Couple,” analyst Kelvin Washington let Purdy know that he has to deliver this season.
“I expect Brock Purdy to still come out, have success,” Washington said. “I expect last season to be the floor. [He’d] better be the much better version of that. And I don’t think there’s time for a lot of excuses because a lot of teams go through this, and their quarterbacks still show up and make the most of the situation, still find ways to win.”
Purdy was the ultimate bargain and feel-good story as the final pick from the 2022 NFL Draft.
He turned out to be a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system, and with multiple All-Pros by his side, he was efficient and sound, giving the team its best quarterback play in recent years.
However, he now has to prove that he can lead them to success when he’s not surrounded by that type of talent.
Also, now that he’s not on a team-friendly deal, he will have to take his game up a couple of notches.
The Niners didn’t even have to give him that extension.
They could’ve kept him under team control without having to give him $53 million a year.
They clearly like what they’ve seen from him and believe he’s the right guy to take them back to the Super Bowl.
He’s got his fair share of detractors, though, so he will be hard-pressed to justify why a team with such a lofty payroll chose to double down on him.
NEXT: Jim Harbaugh Has Honest Admission About His Time With 49ers