Brock Purdy, superstar quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, just signed a new $400 million dollar contract. This deal raises him to one of the top earners in the league. On May 16, Purdy, accompanied by teammate Jake Brendel and his wife, Zan, attended a golf outing at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. This day was about more than enjoying a well-deserved break. It was a breakthrough game for Purdy’s young career with talks of the terms of a new deal already in discussions.
Purdy recently inked a four-year extension worth 68 million with a eye-popping AAV of $53 million. This deal ranks him 14th among quarterbacks in percentage of salary cap at signing, 18.98%. What he’ll make in total amounts to nearly $2.9 million per week! That’s a huge increase over the $2.6 million he earned the first three years of his NFL career combined. His agent, Kyle Strongin, played a crucial role in negotiating a deal that balances Purdy’s deserved compensation while maintaining flexibility for the team’s front office.
The negotiation process was Purdy’s first real taste of the other side of contract negotiations, one of the more difficult realities of professional sports. Business aside, he did the rookie thing and got real focused on performance and continued to reflect on having an educational business head.
“I’ve always heard from the guys in the locker room that, ‘Hey, man, once the negotiations start, you might hear some things, but that’s just how it goes. Stick to who you are. Don’t let it change you and understand that this whole thing is a business,’” – Brock Purdy
Even Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the 49ers, had full faith in Purdy’s ability to lead as well as effectively run Shanahan’s complex offense. He encouraged homestretchers not to lose their focus in a potentially long contract negotiation process. Players should put their role first in the face of tempting distractions.
“I want him to be the leader he’s always been,” – Kyle Shanahan
Shanahan was clear that it was imperative to give reassurance to Purdy during the negotiation process so as to relieve pressure on him.
“I hope by me kind of reassuring him of that, it would kind of take the edge off and the pressure off. … And I just wanted to assure him that [the negotiation] wasn’t going to change anything,” – Kyle Shanahan
In addition to these professional changes, Purdy, as a father and husband, has made some equally impactful personal changes. He and his wife, Jenna, celebrated the birth of their first child, a daughter — Millie Joleen — on July 25. Whatever teething issues were evident this past season, his new chapter in life should definitely inform his approach moving forward both on and off the field.
Over the summer months, Purdy focused on making sure he was prepared, training extensively with physical therapist Tom Gormely down in Florida. He organized throwing sessions with tight end George Kittle and other teammates at his home in Nashville. He is deeply committed to remaining in top physical form. These efforts already go a long way toward solidifying his rapport with his teammates before the season even begins.
Purdy understands that the money game is part of the contract negotiations and being compared with other quarterbacks. He shared how watching contracts get signed for guys like Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence changed his mindset.
“You look at contracts and you compare, and you’re not disrespecting any [other quarterbacks] or anything. … You look at all those things and you negotiate ’em and you try to meet in the middle somewhere,” – Brock Purdy
No matter what the financial implications of his new deal will be, Purdy knows that guaranteed money always talks loudest when it comes to these negotiations.
“Everyone talks about what you’re getting paid per year and that’s important to a degree, but obviously if you can manage to get money that’s guaranteed, that’s something that everyone values a lot,” – Brock Purdy
As he transitions into this new phase of his career, Purdy remains committed to improving his game and minimizing mistakes on the field.
“He could have done better in some games in the past. There’s no disregard in that. I think he’s aware of that and tried to limit some of those mistakes to say, ‘Okay, I can still get better,” – Mick Lombardi
Purdy and the 49ers can’t wait to continue what they started last season. They have lined up very ambitious goals for 2025 and in the years after. Striking the right balance between personal passion and professional investment will be the key as they continue on.
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