As San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy prepares to compete in his first Super Bowl as he will face the Kansas City Chiefs, he has received a take from sports analyst Colin Cowherd that he probably will not agree with. On his show “The Herd,” Cowherd undermines Purdy and his ceiling to be an elite signal-caller in the NFL.
“He's not 6-5, 225, with a power arm like [Chargers QB] Justin Herbert just waiting to finally get a legitimate coach,” Cowherd said. “He's not a crazy-armed talent like [Chiefs QB Patrick] Mahomes, who just needs to watch more film and refine his game, he's not [Bills QB] Josh Allen, this wild, untamed quarterback out of Wyoming that just needed the right offensive coordinator. That's not what he is.”
Cowherd calls Purdy a “much less talented Bo Nix”
Saying this about a player who was a finalist for the league's MVP award, posted great numbers in the regular season, and could be on the cusp of a championship is definitely bold. However, he would talk about Purdy's traits as being not strong and even compared him as a “much less talented Bo Nix.”
“He's Brock Purdy—a little small, hand size, not ideal, moves a little,” Cowherd said. “But his college NFL scouting preview is exactly what he is today. He had a bunch of starts in college, so you kind of know what he is.”
In terms of the ceiling for Purdy, Cowherd believes the Iowa State product is “what you see is what you get,” even at the age of 24-years old. This past season, he threw for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and has led the 49ers out of tough situations in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.
“Brock Purdy is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get quarterback,” Cowherd said. “… We had all the tape. We didn't think he was big enough. Still, probably not [big enough] to carry a franchise. But [he's] smart enough, accurate enough, hardworking enough, and moves well enough to be an additive to a great roster.”
Purdy thriving because of players around him?
Cowherd is not the first person or sports analyst in the media to undermine Purdy with the common critique being that because of how well-rounded the offense and team is around him, that any quarterback can succeed. The same was said on “The Herd” as he cites the players around Purdy and San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, but stresses “that is not a knock.”
“He really, really, really wins a lot with better players and a better coach,” Cowherd said. “That is not a knock. It is the reality of what he is. … He was underappreciated and undervalued by NFL people, but don't expect a massive arc of growth over the next several years. If anything, it'll be incremental.”
Purdy would have to disagree as he said to reporters ahead of the 49ers' Super Bowl matchup that “there's a lot more room for me to grow,” which implies that he feels the ceiling his through the roof according to 49erswebzone.com. However, the successful quarterback would admit himself that he has “a lot of help around me,” but that adds to his development.
“Over time, I've been able to step into that role and be ready for my opportunity,” Purdy said. “At the same time, I have a lot of help around me, and it's allowed me to develop, and I'm going to continue to develop with the help and the cast I have around me.”
The 49ers finished with the best record in the NFC this season as they were 12-5. They will face the Chiefs in the Super Bowl this Sunday in the hopes of seeking revenge from 2020 and capturing their first championship since 1995.
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