Canty makes a bold argument about Purdy’s future contract with the 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Chris Canty has strong opinions on the possibility of the 49ers paying quarterback Brock Purdy next offseason.
Canty was asked if he would give Purdy a lucrative new contract.
“Not this offseason, I wouldn’t do it,” Canty said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday. “I need to see more of Brock Purdy and it’s not a case where I don’t think he’s capable. I just haven’t seen him elevate the game of everyone around him. In many ways, Brock Purdy has been like a mirror reflecting the talent around him.
“And when you don’t have Trent Williams in the lineup, when you don’t have Christian McCaffrey, when you don’t have Deebo Samuel, when you don’t have George Kittle, when you don’t have Brandon Aiyuk, you’re going to get a different version of Brock Purdy.”
Without a full arsenal of offensive weapons, Purdy has regressed this season. In Canty’s eyes, the drop is alarming for the young quarterback.
“In the 27 games he had Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, Brock Purdy had 47 touchdowns and 16 interceptions with a (quarterback) rating of 109,” Canty said. “In the nine games in which Christian McCaffrey was out, he has a losing record, 10 touchdowns to 7 interceptions and a rating of 93.
“So, I’m looking at the situation the 49ers are in now, given the direction a lot of the core of this team is headed from an age (and) contract (situation). And I need to be able to have more proof of concept that Brock Purdy can be a force multiplier rather than a passenger on an extremely talented roster.”
Purdy currently has one of the cheapest contracts for any quarterback in the league, allowing San Francisco to keep the rest of his superstar offense intact this season.
Given his impressive performance since taking over as starter, the 24-year-old is expected to get a much bigger contract. With limited cap space, the 49ers will have to make tough roster decisions if they decide to extend Purdy in line with other elite QBs.
Given that alarming number of injured San Francisco has held its own this season on both offense and defense, blaming Purdy seems unfair. Still, spending a lot of money for someone who is still developing would come with its own risks.
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