The 49ers quarterback is still only 25 years old heading into 2025.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has developed into one of the better younger players in the NFL, which was represented by a five-year, $265 million extension he signed this offseason after his third year in the league.
Purdy, 25, didn’t have as strong a year as his supporting cast was depleted, but nonetheless left no doubt to head coach Kyle Shanahan that he was the team’s quarterback of the future. As a result, the 49ers took the first opportunity possible to extend Purdy, keeping him in the Bay Area through his age-31 season.
There haven’t been as many strong quarterback classes in recent years. The 2021 class was highly touted, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, and Justin Fields being taken in the first round. Of the bunch, only Lawrence and Fields remain starters.
The 2022 class was a flop, with Purdy being the lone standout, despite being selected in the seventh round.
The 2023 class produced C.J. Stroud, who had a strong rookie year before facing some regression as a second-year pro. But, it also had Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson in the top four, and both quarterbacks have already been benched at least once in their professional careers.
2023 second-round pick Will Levis didn’t pan out either, while 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker has yet to see any meaningful action.
The 2024 class looks to be strong with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix being taken inside the top 12, but we’re still in wait-and-see mode with most of those quarterbacks.
Being only 25 years old, Purdy is one of the league’s best young quarterbacks. But, where does he rank among the 25-and-younger group across the NFL?
CBS Sports did their annual Top 25 NFL players that are 25 and younger list, and Purdy showed up at No. 14 overall as the No. 2 quarterback.
“Did he finally stumble under the weight of a battered 49ers supporting cast in 2024? Yes,” CBS Sports’s Cody Benjamin wrote. “Does that fully erase the poise, play-extending shiftiness and highly efficient point-guarding that made him Kyle Shanahan’s best Super Bowl-caliber starter to date? Not in our eyes. Purdy’s vision and composure are still borderline elite.”
At No. 14, Purdy ranked only behind Jayden Daniels as the top quarterback who’s 25 or younger. Daniels appeared at No. 2 behind only Cincinnati Bengals star wideout JaMarr Chase, coming ahead of Penei Sewell, Patrick Surtain II, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and others.
Purdy did come ahead of Stroud, who was at No. 15 and was the only other quarterback to crack the top 25. The only other signal-caller considered was Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, as options like Jordan Love aged out.
Now with a long-term extension, Purdy will look to bounce back to the elite ranks in 2025, and will have some changes to his supporting cast. Deebo Samuel is out the door, with Ricky Pearsall stepping into a bigger role. But, Christian McCaffrey is back, and Brandon Aiyuk should return at some point this season.
Those weapons should provide a boost for Purdy heading into his fourth NFL season.