San Francisco 49ers fans were adamant that Brock Purdy was better than Jordan Love. It turns out that even the Niners don't agree.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the 49ers have signed Purdy to a massive five-year extension worth $265 million at a $53 million-per-year average.
It's bold. It's brave. It's blockbuster.
It's not quite as blockbuster as Love's payday last summer. The Green Bay Packers handed Love a $220 million extension over four years, not Purdy's five, but it works out at a $55 million salary, which tied the league lead at the time.
The Packers believe in Love, and they proved it by handing him a record-setting deal after only one season as the starter. That's how you pay your franchise quarterback. Despite the Dallas Cowboys shattering the record by handing Dak Prescott a $60 million salary, the 49ers clearly don't have the same confidence in Purdy.
49ers admit defeat on the Jordan Love-Brock Purdy without having to say a word
Quarterback contracts usually go up, not down. Trevor Lawrence initially reset the market with a $55 million salary, and many other quarterbacks have hit that mark, including Love, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow.
Jerry Jones made the most Jerry Jones move imaginable by cranking the record up to $60 million with the Prescott extension, but Purdy's new deal didn't even clear the $55 million hurdle.
Packers fans, we heard it all.
Niners fans used their playoff victory over the Packers in 2024 as proof that Purdy was better, despite him playing miserably for three quarters in the rain at Levi's Stadium.
Last season, Purdy lost many players from his All-Pro cast, and the results say it all. He finished the year with 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions as San Francisco stumbled to a 6-9 record in the games he started.
Love also started 15 games, throwing five more touchdowns on 30 fewer pass attempts. He also had one fewer interception than Purdy.
And that doesn't factor in the mistakes from Love's supporting cast. Per Pro Football Reference, Packers receivers dropped 33 passes, the third-most in the NFL. The 49ers had 24 drops.
Packers and 49ers fans may continue to debate, but it's over. Even the 49ers agree. They may never admit it, but quietly dropping a Friday news dump of a $53 million-per-year extension, which is below Love's one offseason later, says it all.