This season, San Francisco 49ers quarterback and league MVP favorite Brock Purdy earns a mere $870,000 in base salary. This is part of the four-year, $3.7 million contract he signed as the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Consider that he lives in California, and you might as well reduce his wage in half to account for taxes. Purdy shared a room with an offensive lineman in October to save money on rent.
Even if the 49ers wanted to pay Purdy more this offseason, they can’t. With a victory in Las Vegas in February, he could become the first 49ers player to win the NFL MVP in thirty years and deliver the organization its sixth Lombardi Trophy, plus he would have the same base pay the following year thanks to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Much has been made in recent weeks about Mr. Irrelevant’s income compared to his performance, but sources have made it quite obvious to CBS Sports: 1) The 49ers won’t be able to negotiate a contract extension until at least 2025, and 2) Purdy will earn more than double his base pay in 2023 from football alone, regardless of any additional marketing deals or endorsements.
Purdy’s four-year contract is a standard one. There is no incentive system or significant signing bonus. Since 2011, any rookie recruited has had little bargaining power in contract negotiations, especially if he or she was selected last in the draft.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) states that a “Rookie Contract for a Drafted Rookie may not be renegotiated, amended or altered in any way until after the final regular season game of the player’s third contract year.” So, if the 49ers wanted to pay him a top-of-market contract as soon as possible, they wouldn’t be able to do so until at least January 2025.
Surprisingly, if the Niners hadn’t chosen Purdy and he went undrafted, he could negotiate a new contract as soon as three weeks from now. Undrafted rookie contracts cannot be renegotiated, revised, or changed until the final regular season game of the player’s second contract year.
