Brock Purdy’s critics want more despite 2 successful seasons

Brock Purdy was last seen on an NFL field with a devastated look on his face. An after effect of when he and his San Francisco 49ers had lost the Super Bowl. Later on, he placed all the blame on himself, whereas they lost it for other reasons. In fact, Purdy played well, just like he had done all throughout the season, setting franchise records for passing yards. But even then, his critics want to see more.

They still do not think he is an elite quarterback. Many consider him to be a product of the system head coach Kyle Shanahan has created with the 49ers. Therefore, if that system was not in place, he would have panned out just as his draft position showed. A player does not become Mr. Irrelevant just because scouts and draft analysts had a whim to give him that monicker.

They used the example of the 49ers themselves to justify their logic. After all, he was their 9th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Therefore, they themselves must not have thought highly of him back then, else they could have selected him with any of their previous eight picks.

All that being said, ever since Brock Purdy has taken over as the starting quarterback, the 49ers have not missed a step. In fact, there were more question marks when Jimmy Garoppolo was the signal caller. But even now, Brock Purdy is constantly criticized for not being elite. Let us dive into the reasons why he is on the receiving end of those criticism, and also why the views about him should change.

Critics say Brock Purdy is the beneficiary of the 49ers system and Pro-Bowl teammates

The San Francisco 49ers have a total of nine Pro Bowlers on their roster. Other than them, they have a lot of players who are close to Pro-Bowl level along with capable backups. Critics believe, any other decent quarterback would have excelled with this level of talent around them. Maybe they could have even won the Super Bowl last season.

To back up that claim, they cite Purdy’s league leading average yards per attempt. He was a significant two yards more than the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. He also led all starting quarterbacks on throws between 10 and 50 yards. Therefore, they believe the way Kyle Shanahan designs plays for Purdy, it helps him gain yards quicker and easier than other quarterbacks.

The very fact that Pro-Bowl receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and superstar tight end George Kittle are great at separation, backs up that claim. Then there is the stud 49ers offensive line to keep defenders away from Purdy as he dissects the routes. That ease is also helped by the fact that the backfield duo of Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk are excellent in the passing game.

In total, Brock Purdy has five elite pass catchers at his disposal on every snap. No other quarterback in the league has that luxury. It could be the reason why critics do not see Mr. Irrelevant as relevant enough to be considered an elite quarterback. That could also be why they still question if he can deliver at the biggest stage, the Super Bowl. But his performances over the past two seasons have proven otherwise.

Brock Purdy has exceeded expectations so far

In Brock Purdy’s first season as a 49er, he was a third string quarterback. But injuries led him to take on the starting role in Week 13. Since then, he has never looked back and established himself as their best quarterback. But that has only happened to come after he progressed through the growing pains of playing with the starters and understanding their nuances.

Yes, Kyle Shanahan’s wizardry did help him get past his early nerves. But one must know that nothing builds confidence better than taking it slow and steady. Purdy took it slow and propelled his team to the NFC Championship game. Then an injury to his throwing arm stopped the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl dreams in its tracks.

Heading into the 2023 season, it was the second straight off-season he could not work with the starters. Therefore, he picked up once the regular season started. However, this time, he improved in all areas of his game. Enough to net him the best passer rating among all starting quarterbacks in the league. Yes, the above criticism might hold water. But Brock Purdy’s in-game development has enabled him to throw much better than his rookie season.

He is efficient, reads coverages well, and is excellent at calling the bluff on defenses—attributes that suggest he is a developing game manager. Some consider it a criticism, but some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history were game managers. But one thing game managers are not, is being flashy. They go about their way throwing to the right receivers to ensure that the team meets its goals. Hence, a lack of flash could be the reason critics do not rate him.

Brock Purdy’s next steps to becoming elite

He is no Patrick Mahomes when it comes to delivering the ‘wow’ throws. He is also no Aaron Rodgers when it comes to extending plays and throwing Hail Marys. Then again, he does not have a cannon of an arm like Josh Allen. But those are individual traits those particular quarterbacks have. Brocky Purdy’s is one of efficiency and precision.

This is the first off-season when he has had the luxury of practicing with his starters. It is also the first time he has been able to work with top level coaches to improve his mechanics and throwing angles. Every athlete needs off-season development. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is already impressed with what he has seen from his starting quarterback this off-season.

Therefore, it is highly possible that the improvements he brings to his game will finally unlock another tier in his performance. Maybe then he can surpass the franchise record for passing yards he set last season. He could also massively improve his performances in the red zone.

Do all that, and it is possible that critics will finally start to acknowledge that Brock Purdy is an elite quarterback. Yes, they will wince and still try to find holes in his repertoire to prove that their draft analysis of him was right. But nothing can prove them wrong than outright performance. Do that, and probably win a Super Bowl, and Brock Purdy will finally earn their respect.

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