Watch or listen to pundits and analysts who cover the NFL, and you’ll hear an endless string of accusations that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is, at best, only slightly above average and that he’s merely a product of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system and the skill players he has been blessed to play with.
The doubters claim that the fact that Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones have put forth fine play under Shanahan is evidence that Purdy is merely a replacement-level signal-caller, or, at best, only slightly better than that.
But current and former NFL players and coaches seem to have a different attitude about Purdy. This past Thursday, the 26-year-old engineered a stunning 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams, and while he may not have looked exactly like peak Joe Montana, he did play at a very high level for almost the entire game.
Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 said that Purdy, who completed 25 of 34 passing attempts for 205 yards and three touchdowns on Thursday, “wasn’t being carried at all.” One former NFL star fullback took things a big step forward.
Lorenzo Neal made it clear that Purdy is part of a select class
Back in the day, Lorenzo Neal was one of the game’s best fullbacks. He played in front of a young Warrick Dunn and Eddie George, and he later blocked for Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson during Tomlinson’s more explosive years.
Neal also played with Pro Bowl QBs such as Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. He said while on “The Jim Rome Show” that Purdy isn’t just good — he’s elite, and he backed up his argument in detail.
“You think about what the Niners have been the last 10 years under Shanahan’s tutelage. … There are quarterbacks in this league, like guys say, there’s a difference between a thermostat and a thermometer. A thermostat can regulate temperature. That’s where I think Brock Purdy, that’s where I think [Patrick] Mahomes, that’s where I think Josh Allen — you look at what Cincinnati has — he definitely is a thermostat. He can regulate temperature.
“… Just a regular guy, they’ll just say, they go out, they just manage games. They don’t have to be elite. Brock Purdy is elite. People are talking about, ‘Oh, he’s a system quarterback.’ Yes, he was a system quarterback. He knows where to go with the ball. … You saw Mac Jones go in and execute it at a high level. But now Brock Purdy is ready. Now he’s become an elite [quarterback] because now the playbook’s got more open for him. Now he’s not going just his second, his third, his fourth read. He can improvise. He’s great in the pocket. He can move, extend plays.
“Anyone that doesn’t think Brock Purdy’s elite, they gotta watch some more film ‘cuz this guy, he’s shown that he can throw for (300), 400 yards. He’s shown that he can get out of harm’s way with his legs.”
Soon after becoming San Francisco’s QB1 in Week 13 of the 2022 season, Purdy quickly proved that he was a keeper. In the divisional and NFC Championship Game rounds of the following year’s playoffs, he led the team back from second-half deficits to victory. After getting off to a rocky start last season and dealing with a toe injury, he played Pro Bowl-level football down the stretch of the schedule.
Upon returning in Week 11, Purdy completed 70.6% of his passing attempts and threw for 1,581 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while posting a 105.6 passer rating in the final seven games of the regular season. Thus far, he has a career passer rating of 104. Not bad for a man who was “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last player chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft.
At this point, all Purdy may have left to do is collect at least one Super Bowl championship. He got the 49ers very close to one three seasons ago, and there is a growing belief among some that if they stay healthy enough, they could have a real chance at claiming the Vince Lombardi Trophy this winter.
After all, they just body-slammed the team that was supposed to be the odds-on favorite to do just that coming into Week 1.
