LAS VEGAS, Calif. – It is time to stop calling San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy a game manager. It might be a decent way to describe how he has played his team into the Super Bowl, but the moniker is generally used to discredit a quarterback’s impact.
It is unfair to assume that Purdy is not developing into one of the best the game has to offer. Just because his team happens to be loaded, it should not take away from what he has done in only his second year in the league.
Purdy led the entire NFL in touchdown percentage, yards per attempt, and quarterback rating this season.
For a guy selected with the last pick in the draft, he sure looks like a player who should have been taken in the first round. The 49ers missed on Trey Lance with the number three overall pick in 2021 but ended up finding a gem just a year later.
Tony Romo called Prudy’s “spatial awareness” the most impressive part of his game.
“People talking about him being a game manager are wrong. He is a difference-maker. He is unique and sees things faster than other people,” said Romo. “He is in a unique world where he has the ability to get through progressions faster than most, and he has the ability to sense and feel.”
“Those gifts are not given to everybody, and he has taken full advantage of that. It is a testament to his work ethic to understand the plan and to understand the defenses. You can’t go do what he has done at this point in your career without having some rare ability, and he has it,” Romo added.
Purdy’s contract makes him the most undervalued player not only on his own team but in all of football. Being on his rookie deal, his salary for this season is $870,000, making him the third highest-paid quarterback on San Francisco’s roster.
The amount of leverage his contract gives the 49ers to spend on other positions is invaluable. Cam Newton recently called Purdy the “tenth-best player” on his team.
Even if this is true, the 49ers are stacked, and the nine players ahead of him are all Pro Bowl-level talents. A checkdown to Christian McCaffery, a screen pass to Deebo Samuel, or a slant route to George Kittle or Brandon Aiyuk happen to be great plays.
Who is to say Purdy would not carry more of the load and be just as successful if these were not the options he was staring down?
“He shows it every day; he does all the simple things, plays at a high level, is his harshest critic, is everything you want in a football player, and loves the game. When you see him celebrating, you feel his energy; he is fantastic,” said Kittle.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.