Some analysts and even one unnamed executive from another team have recently suggested the San Francisco 49ers should think twice before locking quarterback Brock Purdy down via a lucrative contract extension this offseason.
49ers tight end George Kittle addressed such takes while speaking with reporters on Thursday.
“I think Brock has done nothing but play at a very, very high level,” Kittle said, as Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area shared. “The nice thing about contracts is when you play at a high level, you can compare yourself to other people in the league, and when other guys are getting paid $50M-$60M, and you’re a better quarterback than they are, it’s hard not to get that same amount of money.”
Kittle seemingly was referencing how Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott reset the market when he put pen to paper on a four-year extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed ahead of the season. While Purdy has guided the 49ers to a pair of NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl since the club made him the final pick of the 2022 draft, some continue to say he’s merely a “game manager” who wasn’t able to prevent the club from falling to 6-8 amid its ongoing injury crisis.
According to ESPN stats, Purdy began Friday ranked 10th in the NFL among qualified players with a 65.3 adjusted QBR for the season. Across 13 games, he tossed 15 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
As of Friday morning, NFL.com gave the 49ers less than a one percent chance to make the playoffs. At that same time, DraftKings Sportsbook listed San Francisco as a one-point favorite for this Sunday’s game at the 6-8 Miami Dolphins.
“He’s not a kid, but he has a lot of growth and maturity left in front of him, too. So, I think he’s only going to get better and better, and each year you’re going to see a better version of Brock,” Kittle added about his QB1 who turns 25 years old on Dec. 27. “The more mature he gets, the more vocal he will be as a leader. I think he does a good job of that already, and I think he has taken a step forward in that this year specifically. I think next year he is going to come back and be an even more of a vocal leader for us.”
It remains to be seen whether Purdy, signed on a cheap contract through 2025, will have a new deal when he returns to the team for offseason workouts.
