The NFL on Monday announced its performance-based payouts for the 2023 season. These payouts add some money for players on rookie contracts who dramatically outperform the money that comes on their rookie deal. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir were both among the top 25 performance-based pay recipients for last season.
Lenoir landed with the 14th-highest performance-based pay bump for last season. The 49ers’ starting nickel CB added $790,744 after a terrific third season where he started all 17 games and posted a career-high three interceptions. His contract as a fifth-round pick in 2020 paid him a $940,000 base salary this year.
Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 draft, was a Pro Bowler and top-five MVP finalist. He earned an additional $738,916 for his tremendous second season. That number nearly matches his $870,000 base salary from last year.
This won’t be the last time Purdy receives a substantial uptick in pay for his performance, but it’s more likely the next one will come from the 49ers. He could certainly receive performance-based pay from the NFL after the 2024 campaign since his rookie deal will earn him just $985,000 in base salary again next season. However, after next season Purdy will also be eligible for a contract extension with San Francisco.
Assuming he continues playing at a high level in the 49ers’ offense, his pay bump will make the small added funds from the NFL seem paltry.
It’s unclear exactly what kind of deal Purdy will be looking for, and it’s unclear what the 49ers will be willing to pay him based on what the roster will look like once they have a sizable QB deal on the books. It’s not likely the deal is going to be something exceedingly affordable. Even if he’s simply looking for top-10 QB money the 49ers would be looking at a deal in the range of $40 million per year, commensurate with the deals signed by Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and Giants QB Daniel Jones. They’re all tied for the 10th-highest average annual value among QBs.
Should Purdy take a leap in his second full season as a starter where he has a full offseason that isn’t hindered by recovery from major elbow surgery, then that contract could wind up sailing in even north of that Stafford-Jones-Prescott trio. If at that point he continues out-performing his deal, then the 49ers will be in a great spot to continue contending for a long time.