“Pay him now” - Emmanuel Acho on 49ers’ delaying Brock Purdy’s new contract

Emmanuel Acho has pushed the San Francisco 49ers to sign QB Brock Purdy's contract extension soon, or else they may lose millions of dollars in the future. Contract talks between Purdy and the 49ers seem to have been at a standstill despite the quarterback voicing his intent to sign as early as possible.

The remarks were made on Acho's appearance in "The Facility" show on Wednesday:

"Pay him now. If you wait again, it's another 10 million. It's another 12 million. It's another 15 million, whatever the case may be. Furthermore, you can probably get Brock Purdy cheaper right now than you can later, because he's coming off of a mediocre season."

Brock Purdy, who has earned under $3 million in his first three seasons, might be able to command $45-55 million per year in his extension. This increase would have a dramatic effect on the 49ers' capacity to keep other high-quality players.

Is Brock Purdy the 49ers' path to Super Bowl success?

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals - Source: Imagn

Emmanuel Acho made what could be seen to be a counterpoint to his argument by describing what he thinks are the only routes to championship glory in the NFL today:

"The only two ways to win the Super Bowl is having an elite roster, or having a generational quarterback. The Niners are closer to having an elite roster than they are a generational quarterback," Acho said, implying that San Francisco's path to victory hinges on holding on to their general level of talent rather than Brock Purdy.

If Acho believes Purdy is not a generational QB, then paying him big money and risking their overall roster wouldn't help them return to the Super Bowl in the long run. While signing Purdy now could be cheaper than signing him later on, many have doubts as to whether he is worthy of the investment and think the Niners should look for someone with more upside under center.

USA Today's Jarrett Bailey wrote in a recent piece that the 49ers should trade Purdy, citing that head coach Kyle Shanahan is the real driving force of the team's success.

The debate surrounding Brock Purdy's value comes on the heels of a difficult 2024 season in which he was 6-9 as a starter and missed the postseason. Sports Illustrated described it as a "down season" with troubling regression in his decision-making.

Despite these issues, Purdy has amassed solid career statistics. The 25-year-old owns a 27-15 mark as a starter (playoffs included), received a Pro Bowl choice, and was a fourth-place finisher in MVP voting after the 2023 campaign while holding a regular-season passer rating of 104.9.