Brock Purdy remains a fascinating case study, just as he has been since becoming the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback. While there’s plenty to love about his game, the overwhelming talent surrounding him makes some question his true value. Given how the Jimmy Garoppolo era ended, skepticism about Purdy remains.
With a major contract extension potentially on the horizon, reports surfaced that the 49ers’ initial offer was around $45 million per year. However, according to a former Super Bowl champion, that number is far too low — calling it outright disrespectful.
James Jones Calls Reported Brock Purdy Contract Offer ‘Disrespectful’
James Jones had a nearly decade-long NFL career after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2007. A former NFL touchdowns leader and Super Bowl champion, Jones was a key piece in the early years of the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay.
Since retiring, he has transitioned into an analyst, primarily appearing on Fox Sports’ show, “The Facility.” During a recent segment, the discussion turned to Purdy and the reported contract San Francisco is offering him — and Jones didn’t hold back.
“This is disrespectful to the player,” Jones said. “If I am Brock Purdy, and I have taken you to the NFC Championship and a Super Bowl, and I played at a really high level — and I played better than all your veterans and all these Pro Bowl players in the Super Bowl — I played the best.”
Jones argued that Purdy deserves more than recent quarterback extensions. “If we win that game, I’m the MVP. And for you to come and say the first offer is $45 million, and Trevor Lawrence got $55 [million], Tua [Tagovailoa] got $53 [million], and Kyler [Murray] got $46 [million], that is disrespectful to the player.”
From Purdy’s perspective, Jones believes the situation is even worse. “Even if I come in there and say I want $60 [million], for you to counter me and say $45 million, that is so disrespectful to the player.”
James Jones says the reported $45M the 49ers offered Brock Purdy is disrespectful:
“This is disrespectful to the player. If I am Brock Purdy and I have took you to the NFC Championship, and a Super Bowl, and I played at a really high level, and I really played the best football… pic.twitter.com/t9x3ACe3iF
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) March 6, 2025
Last season was arguably the most challenging of Purdy’s career, with several of his key weapons missing from the lineup. Still, he led the 49ers to a top-10 offense, according to PFSN’s Offense+ metric, and ranked No. 7 in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
With two NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl berth already on his resume, Purdy has built an impressive track record. Jones believes there’s a minimum number the 49ers should be starting at. “If I was Brock Purdy’s agent, if we walk in the door and you don’t start with $55 [million], I’m not even responding.”
For Jones, it’s not just about Purdy’s accomplishments — it’s a reflection of the current quarterback market. “We know Brock Purdy might not be worth $60 million to the 49ers, but Brock Purdy and his team don’t know that. And with what these quarterbacks have gotten, if we ain’t starting with $55 [million], anything other than that is disrespectful.”
Purdy’s rise from the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to leading the 49ers to deep playoff runs is undeniable. In his rookie season, he guided San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game before suffering an injury.
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The following year, he was a fringe MVP candidate and left the field in overtime of the Super Bowl with a lead.
Yet, doubts about his value persist. It remains to be seen what kind of contract Purdy will ultimately sign — but if Jones is right, the number may be much higher than $45 million.
What Type of Contract Could Purdy Command?
Currently, the top of the market for quarterback contracts is the deal Dak Prescott signed with the Dallas Cowboys in September 2024. He is earning an average annual value of $60 million (four years, $240 million).
Eight more quarterbacks are earning north of $50 million, including Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, and Trevor Lawrence ($55 million), Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1 million), Jared Goff ($53 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Lamar Jackson ($52 million), and Jalen Hurts ($51 million).
“We have started negotiations, we’re talking,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said. “I won’t go into negotiations, like always is our stance. I want Brock to be our quarterback as long as we’re here and beyond, and we’ll leave it at that.”
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In January, NFL insider Jordan Schultz said he thought Purdy would command somewhere around $40 million or $45 million
“I don’t think he’s worth $50-45 [million], I think he’s worth somewhere between $40-45 [million],” Schultz said. “And as Mr. Irrelevant, you ask, ‘Why do we ding him?’ It’s because, No. 1, his head coach is Kyle Shanahan, and No. 2, it’s because he was Mr. Irrelevant. If Brock Purdy was a first-, second-round pick, I don’t think the narrative would be as it is today. He gets dinged for things that he has no control over.”
It’s hard to argue with his production that he isn’t among the best quarterbacks in the NFL when you evaluate him in a vacuum, but given the existing extenuating circumstances, it seems difficult to justify paying Purdy market-leading value. However, given his value to the 49ers, including leading them to a Super Bowl, and the expanding salary cap, he could still earn top-end money.