The most important lingering query of the 49ers‘ offseason has been answered — in resounding, emphatic, quarter-billion-dollar style.
Brock Purdy, who went from the ultimate decide within the 2022 NFL Draft to a Professional Bowl and Tremendous Bowl quarterback, will now be paid like one, agreeing to a five-year, $265 million deal that ties him for the seventh-highest-paid participant within the league at $53 million a yr.
Purdy, 25, shortly strikes from one finish of the quarterback expectations spectrum to the opposite. As an alternative of being a plucky underdog from Iowa State who went 5-0 as a rookie and helped the 49ers to the Tremendous Bowl in his second season, he now has the burden of being paid like a franchise quarterback, and the excessive commonplace of constant elite-level play that comes with that.
For San Francisco, affected by accidents round Purdy in a disappointing 6-11 season final yr, the problem now adjustments as effectively. It was one factor to get to the Tremendous Bowl with a cut price quarterback simply 15 months in the past, when the 49ers had been shut sufficient to victory to have an additional time lead on the Chiefs earlier than Patrick Mahomes pulled out the win. However transferring ahead, Purdy will take up an enormous chunk of the 49ers’ wage cap, making it tougher to maintain him surrounded with championship-level expertise.
Already, the 49ers noticed key items of their Tremendous Bowl crew going elsewhere. Receiver Deebo Samuel was traded to the Commanders, guard Aaron Banks signed with the Packers, cornerback Charvarius Ward signed with the Colts, and linebacker Dre Greenlaw and security Talanoa Hufanga signed with the Broncos, amongst different departures.
San Francisco is the oddsmakers’ favourite to win the NFC West, with an over-under of 10.5 wins, however that is just one win greater than the defending champion Rams, and two greater than the Seahawks and Cardinals, each eager on getting again to the playoffs. Getting working again Christian McCaffrey, who was restricted by accidents to 4 video games final season, will assist get the 49ers’ offense again to kind as effectively.
RELATED: QB Brock Purdy, 49ers reportedly agree to $265 million extension
Can Purdy and the 49ers assert themselves because the crew to beat once more of their division? They open with a comparatively straightforward four-game stretch — at Seattle, at New Orleans, dwelling vs. Arizona and Jacksonville — earlier than a Week 5 Thursday night time showdown with the Rams in Los Angeles. That recreation figures to place one crew or the opposite within the driver’s seat for the division lead.
In the present day’s NFL economic system requires groups to lock up promising younger quarterbacks earlier than they’ve absolutely confirmed themselves, however Purdy already has a 4-2 profession report within the playoffs, higher than a handful of QBs additionally making greater than $50 million a yr. Dallas’ Dak Prescott is 2-5 within the playoffs, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence is 1-1, Inexperienced Bay’s Jordan Love is 1-2 and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa is 0-1.
With a wholesome supporting forged round Purdy, the query will probably be whether or not he can get again to his breakout 2023 kind — 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns in opposition to 11 interceptions — or whether or not he’ll be nearer to his 2024 numbers, when he handed for 3,864 yards and 20 touchdowns in opposition to 12 picks.
He is getting paid like a top-10 quarterback now, so he’ll have the unfamiliar weight of residing as much as his paycheck for the primary time in his younger NFL profession.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade overlaying the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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