San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has given the early MVP discussion more than a statistical hook. Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins, extending a 2-0 start in which the passing game has driven the offense’s most convincing work.
Locked On 49ers host Brian Peacock said Purdy’s 80% successful-play rate on dropbacks against Miami put the quarterback’s Week 2 efficiency in rare historical company. Locked On 49ers co-host Eric Crocker went further, calling Purdy the current MVP frontrunner while arguing that the quarterback will still need a defining national moment later in the season.
The distinction matters for Purdy because efficiency alone has not always changed the conversation around quarterbacks in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Crocker said Purdy will have to produce in a high-stakes, widely viewed spot to overcome the perception that the system creates quarterback-friendly numbers. He pointed to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as the type of established competitor who can seize that attention with a prime-time performance.
Purdy has started to build the production necessary for that opportunity. Peacock cited an ESPN note that Purdy became the second NFL quarterback to record multiple games with at least 250 passing yards and a 90% completion rate, joining Derek Carr. The next test comes against the Arizona Cardinals, with the 49ers aiming to sustain their offensive rhythm before the schedule stiffens.
Christian McCaffrey remains part of the MVP calculus, too. Nicholas Winkler, a Locked On 49ers host, said McCaffrey’s touchdown production could split credit for the offense if the rushing attack improves. But Winkler also argued that an inconsistent ground game could place even more responsibility on Purdy to carry the attack through the air.
That is the immediate opportunity for the 49ers: Keep giving Purdy chances to turn a strong start into an unmistakable one. The numbers have created the MVP conversation; the remaining question is whether he can deliver the late-game, nationally visible performance that makes it stick.
A home meeting with Arizona gives Purdy another chance to keep the 49ers’ passing game rolling before upcoming matchups raise the degree of difficulty.
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