Brock Purdy was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, becoming Mr. Irrelevant. Since that day, however, Purdy has built himself a commendable resume. Purdy's amassed a 17-4 record as a starter and he's won four playoff games.
While Purdy is undoubtedly one of the most successful quarterbacks in the league, though, the question is just how talented he is. In many ways, Purdy is the ultimate definition of a game manager.
Several factors will force Purdy to do more this year, and he’ll be under immense pressure to prove himself and produce at a high level.
Why Brock Purdy has been able to escape scrutiny
Purdy has been able to escape scrutiny for a long time by embracing his role as a field general who relies on his playmakers to do the heavy lifting. It's also difficult to criticize a player selected in the seventh round given the low expectations associated with that draft slot.
However, the jig is up on the idea of the 49ers being able to consistently carry Purdy to the promised land. If he wants to win championships, he’ll need to be a reason for his team's success, rather than somebody who is just along for the ride.
Purdy has proven that he can maneuver in the pocket and get the ball in the hands of his playmakers in space where they can do damage. Of course, when those playmakers are guys like Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel, there isn’t a ton that Purdy needs to do.
However, after months of smoke and rumors, Aiyuk officially requested a trade from the 49ers this week. With his team’s superstar receiver seemingly on his way out the door, Purdy will lose one of his go-to targets in the passing game.
Sure, Purdy will still have one superstar receiver to work with, along with McCaffrey in both the running and passing games. However, defensive coordinators will have an easier time scheming to limit two stars as opposed to three. That’s why Purdy will need to step up and be a leader rather than a follower.
Right now, Purdy is largely a follower who will go as far as the team around him goes. This is not meant to be a criticism of Purdy. Certainly, what they’ve done in San Francisco has worked out well the overwhelming majority of the time. When a player has the embarrassment of riches that Purdy has at his disposal, the smart thing to do is to just get the ball out quick and let the overwhelming talent win the day.
With Aiyuk’s impending departure, though, this approach won’t work anymore. Purdy will have to do more, and it remains to be seen if he is up to the task.
Purdy will need to make things happen himself this year
One thing Purdy will need to start doing is throwing his receivers open. Aside from his receivers making things happen after the catch, one of the other criticisms of Purdy is that he isn’t asked to make very many difficult throws. It often seems as if his receivers are running wide-open and all he is asked to do is hit them in stride. That’s what the college game is like, and it’s why a lot of great college quarterbacks don’t translate to the NFL.
This season will be different for Purdy
For the upcoming season, there's nowhere for Purdy to hide. He's going to need to elevate his performance and lift his team up with him. He won't be able to rely on dump-offs or receivers running wide-open down the field. He'll need to make difficult throws and create opportunities. Kyle Shanahan is an offensive genius who excels at scheming players open, but even the play-calling will be more difficult without Aiyuk in town.
The team's young signal caller won't be able to rely on an overwhelming disparity in talent to carry the day. They'll need the team's best players to step up, and this is an opportunity for Purdy to prove that he can put a team on his back the way franchise quarterbacks are expected to.
This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Purdy
Purdy receives a lack of respect around the league compared to other quarterbacks who have achieved similar success. This season will be a challenge, but it is also an opportunity for Purdy to flip the narrative around his career and show that he can be a franchise-caliber player. His performance during the upcoming season will have an outsized impact on his reputation for the rest of his career. That's why he'll have more pressure on him than any other player on the team.
In one sense, Purdy can’t be blamed for his role given that it fit the needs of the team. He has played perfectly fine up to this point in his career. On the flip side, though, he hasn’t yet addressed questions about his ability to be the man and lead his team.
Going into the upcoming season, the pressure will be on Purdy‘s shoulders to take the 49ers to the promised land. We’ll see if he is up to the challenge, but there’s little doubt that Purdy faces the most pressure of anybody on the 49ers’ roster.
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