The Fresh Focus on J.J. McCarthy’s Contract as Filthy Rich QB Deal Emerges
J.J. McCarthy is a bargain. The No. 10 pick from the 2024 NFL Draft is carrying a cap charge sitting at a touch below $5 million in 2025, a tremendous value if he even offers low-end QB1 play.
Consider, by contrast, the cost to now employ Brock Purdy in San Francisco. He recently snagged a huge extension to continue working under Kyle Shanahan’s tutelage. The Athletic offered some details: “Brock Purdy has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to Mr. Moneybags. Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers on Friday agreed to terms on a five-year, $265 million contract extension that makes him the wealthiest player in franchise history.”
J.J. McCarthy & The QB Slobberknocker Deal
The same piece offers a bit more background to help clarify what Mr. Purdy has accomplished.
One thought: “The 49ers acquired Purdy, 25, with the last pick in the 2022 draft — No. 262, which dubbed him ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ — with the thought he might have some value as a backup quarterback. At the time, the roster included Garoppolo, Trey Lance, whom the team drafted No. 3 overall a year earlier, and Nate Sudfeld, a free-agent pick everyone expected would be the top backup that season.”
Perhaps most impressively, the performance from Brock Purdy in the ’23 season: “In the 2023 season — his first full season as the starter — Purdy helped guide the 49ers to another NFC West title and a trip to Super Bowl LVIII. Following a season that saw him lead the league in quarterback rating (113.0), rank third in touchdown passes (31) and fifth in passing yards (4,280), Purdy finished fourth in MVP voting.”
Crunch the numbers to arrive at a basic understanding of the deal. A five-year contract worth a total of $265 million means possessing an average cap charge sitting at $53 million. The average puts him in a tie with Jared Goff, sitting at 7th in the NFL.
Not a bad raise, all things considered. After all, we’re talking about someone who got snagged at No. 262 in the 2022 NFL Draft. Purdy’s initial NFL contract came in at a four-year commitment with an initial value at $3,737,012. Quite the jump in compensation and a good reminder that success (literally) comes at a cost.
J.J. McCarthy’s rookie contract is doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to financing the aggressive spending elsewhere. No, the rookie-QB-contract savings alone can’t perform miracles — money is still finite, even in the NFL — but it nevertheless makes a major difference (read more on The Vikings Gazette).
Going into 2025, J.J. McCarthy is accounting for a $4,966,999 cap charge. The number jumps up to $5,960,399 in 2026 and then $6,953,799 in 2027. Achieving even solid success would involve Minnesota picking up his 5th-year option, a financial commitment that would pay McCarthy like a top passer for just a single season.
The beauty of an extension is that a team can keep the good times rolling for just a little longer. Put differently, the finances can be manipulated in a manner that allows for some more seasons of low cap charges before things explode.
Consider, for instance, how the Vikings worked Justin Jefferson’s contract, someone who will soon see his contract start dropping QB-level cap charges onto the team budget. The initial four years of Jefferson’s contract contained modest cap hits since he was working under his rookie deal. The 5th-year option was picked up and then he was extended for four years and $140 million.
The critical detail is merely that Jefferson’s fifth year held a cap charge of just $8,612,600 whereas the sixth season — the upcoming one — sits at $15,167,600, very modest given Jefferson’s level of play. Next year, the cap charge jumps to close to $39 million before climbing over $40 million. Add it all together and the Vikings are looking at six seasons of low cap charges with Mr. Jefferson.
Essentially, short-term cap gain for some long-term cap pain. If J.J. McCarthy shines, then a similar tactic will likely be in play. Hand over a major deal but keep the initial cap charges low, giving Minnesota a 3-5 year runway to capitalize on the sweet savings from McCarthy’s deal.
By gobbling up so much money, Brock Purdy will now need to prove capable of covering up flaws elsewhere on the roster. Kirk Cousins couldn’t do so as a Viking, but Purdy has a higher ceiling than Minnesota’s former passer.
Meanwhile, McCarthy will be looking to quickly become a strong NFL starter so that meaningful team success arrives early in his NFL career. Pushing his team toward even a Super Bowl appearance would mean that McCarthy will be landing a major pay increase before too long. If he wins the Lombardi? Well, then the money could get really wild.
The Vikings are currently sitting on roughly $14.2 million in open cap space.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
