It still feels surreal that the San Francisco 49ers finalized a contract extension with Brock Purdy in May.
Their usual trend is getting deals done during training camp, so this is finally turning a new leaf for them. That is part of what makes Purdy's extension a perfect one for the 49ers.
But the main reason it is a perfect deal is that it places him in the correct quarterback tier in the NFL. That is what his extension signifies, the tier that he is in.
Looking at his contract extension, the numbers attached to it, specifically the guarantees, place him $11 million more than Jared Goff and just under $2 million more than Jalen Hurts.
Now, you can nitpick that he shouldn't be paid that much more in guarantees than Goff or more than Hurts. However, Goff's deal was done last year, and Hurts' was done two years ago.
It's only natural that Purdy was going to beat them out, given the rising costs. This is what doing business with a quarterback looks like.
Circling back to the tier, Goff and Hurts are two quarterbacks who need adequate talent around them to be at their best. Without the talent (and coaching), their performance takes a hit.
So, the extension Purdy signed with the 49ers is in that tier. That is largely what makes his contract fair. He is placed in the appropriate tier as opposed to receiving $200 million guaranteed, placing him with Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and several unworthy quarterbacks.
If the 49ers had done that, it would've been unjustifiable. That would've been an insane overpay that would've hurt the team, but they didn't.
Purdy's extension is an acknowledgement from the 49ers that while he is getting paid a bit of a hefty amount, it isn't breaking the bank because he is a player who needs a lot to go right, like Goff and Hurts.
He is a quarterback who needs several sweet players to throw and hand the ball off to. He is a player who needs an excellent play caller. He has that in Kyle Shanahan, and that isn't ever going away.
Look at Hurts in 2023. He had Brian Johnson (who?) as his offensive coordinator. Hurts went from looking amazing in 2022 under a great play caller in Shane Steichen to Johnson.
It explains a lot why he was average at best in 2023. Sure enough, they bring in Kellen Moore to be their new offensive coordinator, and Hurts rebounds in 2024.
We are about to find out if Goff will regress with Ben Johnson now in Chicago. The odds are that he will take a step back, and it won't be surprising if he does.
The 49ers didn't overpay for Purdy. They gave him a contract fitting of his tier, which is called doing excellent business. In recent years, the 49ers have handed out numerous poor contracts that stung them.
