San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy garnered plenty of comparisons to greats from today and from the past during his rookie season. For Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez, he sees a bit of Tom Brady in the former Iowa State passer.
Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan during Super Bowl week, Gonzalez explained just why Purdy’s cool, calm, and collected manner when anchoring the 49ers offense reminded him of Brady.
“Really, I think the most impressive part [of Purdy] is his ability emotionally never to get too high, never to get too low,” Gonzalez said.
“Reminds me of a great quarterback, someone like Tom Brady. That personality style where it’s like, ‘Hey, next game up. Yeah, we had a big win, but we’ve got to go out there and play.' The moment is never too big, and it’s never too bad either, no matter the situation.”
As was the case with Brady, Purdy’s time to shine came following a notable injury at the quarterback position. Purdy was called on to lead the 49ers offense in the team’s Week 13 home matchup against the Miami Dolphins after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a foot ailment in the first quarter. He took the keys to the offense, and he did not look back.
Purdy won seven total games as a starter in his rookie campaign. For one, he picked up a victory over the Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. Overall, Purdy recorded 1,374 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes in regular season play, and he went on to finish in third place in the voting for the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Gonzalez was left in awe of Purdy’s sheer composure in the season.
“It’s uncanny,” Gonzalez said. “That hidden gem — being Mr. Irrelevant, that last pick in the draft, to come in and have the composure that he had and the ability to throw the ball.
“It’s been talked about — him being a four-year starter [at Iowa State] and having the success while not really having those great receivers that you have at Alabama, you have at these big programs. Where it’s like no, the guy is not open by three or four yards. You’ve got to fit that ball in a tight window. That’s what the NFL is. Everybody is great at this level.”
Purdy is currently set to undergo surgery next week for the UCL injury that he suffered in last month’s NFC title game.
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