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Brock Purdy is back in the NFC Championship Game for the second year in a row after the 49ers rallied to defeat the

Packers in the Divisional Round.

Purdy’s journey from Mr. Irrelevant to San Francisco’s full-time starting quarterback is well documented at this

point.

Purdy went 6-0 as a rookie in 2022, taking over for Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo after they were both injured.

Purdy led the 49ers to playoff victories over the Seahawks and Cowboys until an elbow injury limited him to only

four passing attempts in a loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship.

Purdy returned as a starter in 2023 and spent the bulk of the season in MVP conversation. The 24-year-old guided

San Francisco to another NFC West title and the top seed in the conference, finishing third in the NFL with 31

throwing touchdowns and sixth with 4,280 passing yards.

And, believe it or not, despite his early success, Purdy is not even one of the NFL’s 50 highest-paid quarterbacks.

Here is why.

Purdy, a second-year player, is still on his rookie contract. Because the value of rookie contracts is determined by

your selection position, the 49ers star received a fixed rate after being taken with the final choice (262nd overall) in

the 2022 NFL selection.

As a result, Purdy signed a four-year, $3.74 million contract with San Francisco following the selection.

Purdy was not projected to be the 49ers’ next franchise quarterback, thus there was no large or flashy signing bonus

when he was selected as Mr. Irrelevant. Purdy was the 64th highest-paid quarterback in the league this season based

on average annual value, so the club is getting a significant discount on its most vital position.

Being taken as the last choice in the draft will cost Purdy more money than if he went undrafted. Drafted players

have little room for bargaining on their four-year contracts, although undrafted players can renegotiate after their

second regular season.

Because of Purdy’s draft status, the 49ers will not have to worry about negotiating a significant contract extension for

him until the 2025 offseason.