Brandon Aiyuk’s WR coach believes the 49ers overpaid for Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers got their main piece of offseason business done last week, signing Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension that includes $181 million in guaranteed money.

Purdy, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was coming off his second full season as the team’s starter, throwing for 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2024.

That came after a strong 2023 campaign where Purdy tossed for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, leading the league in a few efficiency categories.

San Francisco sought to get the deal done early in the offseason, finalizing terms before organized team activities (OTAs), which begin this week. Of course, the deal was met with mixed reviews, with some praising the 49ers for getting it done, while others questioned the worth of the contract.

One of the people arguing the latter was former NFL wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who also happens to be Brandon Aiyuk’s private wide receivers coach.

Houshmandzadeh, who went on FS1’s The Speak, gave his thoughts on the contract, believing it to be an overpay on San Francisco’s behalf.

“I believe they did overpay for Brock Purdy,” Houshmandzadeh said on Monday.” “I would have given Brock Purdy $47 million a year. That would have been the most I’m giving him. We needed you last year. You went 1-6 against playoff teams. We had guys hurt. Christian McCaffrey was out, Trent Williams was out, [Brandon] Aiyuk got hurt, and you couldn’t really get it done.

“I think Brock Purdy is a hell of a quarterback, but I’m not giving you money when you’ve shown me, when we need you to take over, you can’t take over. [When] we need you to carry us, you can’t carry us. But at one point, they said Jalen Hurts was overpaid. Now, Jalen Hurts is underpaid. He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, now he’s underpaid. If Brock Purdy takes the 49ers to the Super Bowl and they win it, then his contract is well worth it. Until he does that, he’s overpaid.”

Purdy’s deal is tied for seventh in average annual value (AAV) at $53 million, eighth in total guarantees at $182.55 million, and 12th in guaranteed money at signing at $100 million.

It’s notable that his cap hits are lower than $31 million for the first three years of the contract. Purdy has a cap hit of $9.1 million in 2025, $24.8 million in 2026, and $30.8 million in 2027.

Based on the structure of the contract, it seems logical for the 49ers and Purdy to re-evaluate terms after the first three seasons, with a potential extension in the mix if the quarterback maintains a high level of play.

However, the ask of a Super Bowl is the expectation, as the 49ers are going all-in on their franchise quarterback with hopes of reaching their end goal during their current championship window.