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After leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie last season and following that up by taking them all the way to this Sunday’s Super Bowl, quarterback Brock Purdy has made a mockery of the “Mr Irrelevant” label he was slapped with as the 262nd – and last – overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
This past regular season the 24-year-old ranked fifth in total passing yards (4,280) – one spot higher than his upcoming Super Bowl opponent Patrick Mahomes (4,183) – third in passing touchdowns (31 – again beating out Mahomes, who had 27) and first in passer rating (113.0).
Purdy’s standard of play ranks him among the NFL’s best in his position. He has proven to be anything but irrelevant. Yet his annual salary is still commensurate with his lowly initial draft selection. And that is a tremendous advantage for the 49ers.
Since Purdy assumed the starting quarterback role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense from Jimmy Garoppolo midway through last season, the Niners have a record, inclusive of postseason play, of 21 wins and just five defeats. They ended the 2023 regular season as the No 1 seed in the NFC, with a 12-5 record.
Related: Super Bowl 2024: your 49ers v Chiefs questions, answered
His total compensation for the season – salary plus bonuses – was $870,000, which tied for the lowest among all quarterbacks to have started Week 1.
Only two others – the Atlanta Falcons’ Desmond Ridder ($949,000) and Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders ($870,000) – also earned less than $1m for the year (we’re legally obliged to note here that $870,000 a year is very good money in nearly every other walk of life). Ridder fought with back-up Taylor Heinicke for the starting role in Atlanta through the second half of the season and is unlikely to be the Falcons’ No 1 quarterback in 2024. And Howell is almost certain to be usurped in Washington, with the Commanders owning the second overall pick in this year’s draft and said to be…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/could-brock-purdy-rock-bottom-083007828.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2024-02-08 08:30:07
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