Quarterback Brock Purdy, who placed fourth in the NFL MVP voting, will start his third season on the 49ers as the 49th-highest paid player.
His 2024 season salary of $1.1 million is set in stone. He should anticipate receiving a sizable pay boost when his contract is allowed to be renegotiated for the first time next year.
When NBC Sports Bay Area inquired about Purdy’s future contract at the NFL Annual Meeting on Tuesday, 49ers CEO Jed York responded, “I think it’s a good problem when your quarterback is one of your highest-paid guys on your team and in the league.” Thus, a great deal of planning is involved.
The 49ers threatened to withhold pay reductions from defensive tackle Arik Armstead and fullback Kyle Juszczyk this offseason, setting the stage for Purdy’s inevitable raise.
After declining, Armstead was let go. By agreeing, Juszczyk helped the 49ers save $4 million by avoiding the salary cap.
A year from now, the team could make similar requests of other expensive players to clear space on the cap for Purdy’s anticipated large contract.
York stated that in order to get ready for the day when Purdy’s salary rises from the league minimum to among the highest paid players in the NFL, he trusts general manager John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan, and chief negotiator Paraag Marathe to create the plan on roster and cap management decisions.
“It’s what the market is,” York said. “Brock is going to ask for something that no one has ever asked for before. I don’t know how many players are making over $40 million (per year) as a quarterback right now.”
Twelve quarterbacks are currently participating in games with contracts that pay them at least $40 million annually on average. Joe Burrow of Cincinnati earns $55 million a year, the highest salary of any player in the league.
Jimmy Garoppolo signed a five-year contract extension with the 49ers five years ago, with an average salary of $27.5 million per season. For a brief period, he was the league’s highest-paid player.
The salary cap for each team in the league was set at $177.2 million in 2018. The cap increased to $255.4 million for each team this year.
“You see the market has changed,” York said. “Whether I like it or not, that’s what the market is, and you have to accept the reality of the world.
“To me, the quarterback is the most important position, not just in football but in all of sports, and those guys should be paid a lot.”