Brock Purdy’s personality kept extension talks with 49ers from getting ugly

Brock Purdy has been far more about faith than flash during his first three NFL seasons and there was strong evidence Wednesday that the five-year, $265 million contract extension he signed about 24 hours earlier hadn’t changed him.

The San Francisco 49ers ’ Pro Bowl quarterback eschewed a suit, entering the Levi’s Stadium auditorium for his news conference sporting a red 49ers’ sweatshirt and black sweatpants, and he began his opening remarks by giving “glory to God and Jesus Christ, my Lord and savior.”

Within the first minutes, Purdy said it had been a “huge emphasis” for him to avoid a contract holdout, regardless of the state of negotiations. As the QB and a team captain, he said, it was vital that he reported on time for the offseason program last month to “love on these guys” and help build “trust” and “character” within the locker room.

In other words, Purdy, a Mr. Irrelevant who has doubled as Mr. Nice Guy, sounded like he will remain the same as Mr. Multi-Millionaire. But Purdy’s personality prompted a question: Did he sign an extension that wasn’t overwhelming, at least by the standards of NFL QB contracts, because he’s so darn agreeable?

“I don’t know if there was a narrative of ‘Brock’s going to take a (lesser contract) because he’s a nice guy,’” Purdy said. “For me, it’s, ‘I play in the NFL, there’s 32 starting quarterbacks and it’s not the easiest job in the world.’ And for me, with what I’ve done, I can hang my hat on that. I’ve had success in this league and I’m capable of leading an organization all the way to the end, the Super Bowl. I’ve proved that.

“For me, I know who I am. I want to get what I deserve. But also surround myself with guys around me and not just try to take every penny for myself. That’s the whole point of negotiating. You go through that and you try to meet in the middle ground. And with where we ended, I’m extremely grateful and happy with it.”

Translation: The 49ers would still be haggling with Purdy’s agent if their franchise QB possessed a more me-focused perspective.

Purdy’s news conference made it clear that his personality played a role in the two sides agreeing to terms Friday, about three months before the 49ers typically finalize extensions for their stars.

The stage was set for negotiations to get ugly.

Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, had been comically underpaid in his first three seasons, a span during which he outperformed almost all his peers: He’s ranked first in the league in yards per attempt (8.9), second in passer rating (104.9) and fifth in completion percentage (67.5) since arriving in the NFL. Meanwhile, the 49ers could point to his stellar supporting cast as a reason for those numbers and threaten to not make a deal because Purdy still had another year remaining on his contract.

As it happened, general manager John Lynch did repeatedly reference Purdy’s contract status this offseason – saying there was no guarantee an extension would be signed – but Purdy’s desire to not fight for “every penny” allowed talks to end quickly and amicably.

Purdy’s average annual salary of $53 million is tied for seventh among QBs. He could have ranked second if he landed a deal that averaged $55.1 million per season.

“Obviously, we want to make sure that we’re working together with our organization, setting up everybody for success,” Purdy said, referring to himself and his agent, Kyle Strongin. “It’s not just for me to get all the money, as much as I can. But also, ‘Hey, let’s set this up with a great team, great players and a great locker room.’ Those things matter. So we definitely talked about that.”

Purdy’s reaction to Lynch saying he might not receive an extension? He said it was “just the truth” and he didn’t take “any offense to it all.” As far as the no-trade clause he received in the deal, he offered that he was “grateful” it was included but suggested he would have signed without it, saying it wasn’t a “determining factor.”

“I think were we ended up was exactly where we needed to be,” Purdy said. “I’m extremely happy with where we ended and where the Niners are, too. For me, it’s all about football now. And how they use the (salary) cap space, that’s not my job. My job is to go and lead this team.”

Purdy could fully shift his focus to football Friday after he received a the-deal-is-done text from Strongin when he was on the Lake Course at the Olympic Club in San Francisco with center Jake Brendel and their wives. Moments later, Purdy was speaking with Lynch via FaceTime. In the following days, he’s continued a conversation with his wife, Jenna, about how they might spend some of their windfall.

Purdy’s lack of flash is why linebacker Fred Warner joked in January that he would buy a “bunch of chains, cars and houses” when he signed his extension. In reality, Purdy’s first big purchase will be a bass boat that he plans to buy “one day.”

The takeaway: Purdy emerged from his first contract negotiations with generational wealth while retaining his sense of self.

“What I've learned is it is a business,” Purdy said, “but that doesn't mean I have to change.”