Brock Purdy’s rise from Mr. Irrelevant to a Super Bowl quarterback is well documented. While it makes for a great story, Purdy’s selection came with one big drawback.
Had Purdy gone undrafted in 2022, he would have been eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out, however, being selected at all will delay that eligibility for a year, meaning Purdy will not be extension-eligible until the end of next season.
Had Brock Purdy gone undrafted, he would’ve been contract-extension eligible this offseason.
But because the 49ers selected him with the last pick in the draft, he isn’t eligible for a new deal until after the 2024 season. https://t.co/MqnsuHEl8B
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 11, 2024
It is always possible that Purdy could have signed elsewhere had he gone undrafted, which may have completely changed his story. However, if he wound up with the 49ers and everything else was the same, he would be in line for a massive payday this offseason. That payday will likely still come, but a year later than it would have otherwise.
Even at the start of this season, Purdy’s status as the 49ers’ starter was seemingly not set in stone. Those doubts are gone now. He has big money coming his way — even if he could have gotten it sooner.