At an NFLPA retreat a few years ago, a veteran linebacker reportedly scoffed at the mention of quarterback contracts. ‘They eat steak while we scrap for crumbs,’ he quipped, stirring a room full of players into an uneasy silence. The moment passed, but the sentiment lingered. In today’s NFL economy, quarterback money isn’t just big—it’s ballooning. And now, with Brock Purdy inching closer to a mega deal, that quiet discontent is finding a louder voice.

The trend is clear: elite quarterbacks are landing eye-watering paydays. A $50 million annual deal has almost become the standard. Alongside that comes the patience game—waiting out the market before signing on the dotted line. These are the three pillars shaping Brock Purdy’s unfolding contract extension story. John Lynch and the 49ers front office appear to be taking their time, perhaps strategically. But even as fans and pundits speculate about when the extension will drop, whispers around San Francisco suggest the real friction lies not in if the deal happens—but how much Purdy wants.

The rumored number? Exactly around that magical figure—$50 million per year. And while most fans have grown numb to quarterback contracts reaching such heights, the NFL Players Association has started to push back. On May 5, former Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck joined The Herd with Colin Cowherd and offered a telling insight. As an active participant in NFLPA discussions, he implied the union has grown wary of QB pay inflation.

“If you were a fly on the wall in the NFLPA meetings in Hawaii—or wherever they have them now—you’d hear that sentiment,” Hasselbeck said. “‘Hey man, these quarterback contracts… they’re just getting out of control.’ These numbers are just exponentially multiplying… And we’re not seeing that same growth at other positions.”

Hasselbeck’s remarks come amid reports that Purdy’s camp is asking for a deal above $50 million annually. NFL Rumors’ X page echoed this on May 5, stating the 49ers are expected to finalize a deal in that range. If completed, Purdy would become the 11th QB in the NFL to earn $50M+ per year.

Yet not everyone believes he’ll stick to that figure. Mike Florio of NBC Sports and ProFootballTalk told The Rich Eisen Show that he expects the 49ers to settle around $55.1 million annually, just behind Dak Prescott and perhaps Josh Allen. Still, Florio emphasized the deal is coming soon, and it’s likely to vault Purdy into the league’s financial elite.

Did the NFLPA miss Allen and Prescott’s staggering deals?

Florio’s comments also reopened an uncomfortable question: If the NFLPA is genuinely concerned about spiraling quarterback contracts, why didn’t they push back harder when Josh Allen and Dak Prescott signed their own blockbuster deals? Back in March 2025, the Bills handed Allen a six-year, $330 million extension with $250 million guaranteed—the most guaranteed money in NFL history. Similarly, just before the 2024 season began, the Dallas Cowboys gave Prescott a four-year, $240 million deal with a staggering $231 million guaranteed.

Despite the headline-grabbing figures, the NFLPA stayed mostly silent. And that silence now raises eyebrows as they voice concerns over Purdy’s potential deal—especially considering the Niners QB hasn’t even reached unrestricted free agency yet.

For now, Brock Purdy continues to show up—literally. He participated in the 49ers’ voluntary offseason program, even as his contract talks remain unresolved. Meanwhile, the franchise’s decision to extend George Kittle on a four-year, $76.4 million deal raised more speculation. With Kittle now the highest-paid tight end, fans wonder whether that leaves less room at the table for their quarterback.

Still, 49ers GM John Lynch sounded optimistic during the May 5 episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned: “We’re having really good, positive discussions. When it gets done, I’m not sure. Hope sooner rather than later—but hope is not a strategy. So, we’re making progress.” The concern, of course, is how long that progress can stretch before frustration sets in. If Purdy were to dig in—like CeeDee Lamb did last year with the Cowboys—team activities could get awkward.

For now, rumors will continue to fly, and the NFLPA’s rhetoric will likely get louder. But when the ink dries on Brock Purdy’s extension, the question won’t just be what the number is—it’ll be why it took so long to push back against a trend that’s been years in the making.