NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe believes Brock Purdy deserves to get paid more than the $265 million contract extension he recently received. He told his co-host, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, on the “Night Cap” podcast that Purdy saved San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch’s jobs.
Shannon Sharpe Believes Brock Purdy Saved Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch From Firing
Sharpe believes that Lynch and Shanahan would have been fired after trading up to select Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft.
“He’s probably worth more because he saved Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s jobs. Because they invested all that money in Trey Lance. They gave up all that draft capital to get Trey Lance.
“They took this man, Mr. Irrelevant, with the last pick in the seventh round. Now, if you don’t take him and you got Trey Lance and you moved on from Trey Lance, you’re gone.”
Shannon Sharpe on Brock Purdy’s contract extension:
“He’s probably worth more because he saved Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s job. Because they invested all that money in Trey Lance. They gave up all that draft capital to get Trey Lance. They took this man Mr. Irrelevant with… pic.twitter.com/vXXMI3jvRm
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac)
In that draft, the 49ers moved up from No. 12 to No. 3 overall to select Lance. To pull that off, they also had to give up first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, as well as a 2022 third-round pick.
Lance was supposed to be the final piece that would take San Francisco over the top. Meanwhile, to put into perspective, the No. 12 pick was eventually used on Micah Parson, who is now an All-Pro linebacker, by the Dallas Cowboys after the pick was traded multiple times.
Lance, however, flamed out in San Francisco. He was given the starting quarterback role in 2022 over Jimmy Garoppolo but suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 that ruled him out for the entire season. Garoppolo was also injured, which led to seventh-round rookie Purdy becoming the starter.
Purdy excelled in the role, leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. That spelled the end of Lance in San Francisco, who was shipped to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
Meanwhile, Purdy continued his strong showing with a 2023 campaign where he made his first Pro Bowl. San Francisco also advanced all the way to Super Bowl 58, falling just short to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
The five-year, $265 million contract extension that Purdy just signed now ties the future of the 49ers franchise to the 25-year-old. Purdy is 23-13 for his career as the starting QB, and has thrown for 9,518 passing yards and 64 touchdowns. However, the 2024 season was his most challenging yet.
The 49ers finished 6-11 after suffering a multitude of injuries. It was the first time Purdy had missed the playoffs. But with financial stability now secured, he will look to help the team bounce back next season.
