The San Francisco 49ers are on their third quarterback this season. They are relying on the league's top-ranked defense and a cast of playmakers on offense to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive. The team is also depending on a rookie quarterback, the last overall pick in this year's draft, to guide the offense down the home stretch.
The 49ers selected Brock Purdy out of Iowa State with the No. 262 overall pick, making him "Mr. Irrelevant." The rookie quarterback has been anything but that over the last three weeks, showing the leadership and on-field ability of a seasoned veteran. Purdy has helped keep San Francisco's win streak, now at seven games, alive. That's incredible value for the last pick in the draft.
Tight end George Kittle wasn't sure what to expect from Purdy upon the quarterback's arrival to the team.
"I know he's played in a ton of football games [at Iowa State]," Kittle told KNBR's Markus Boucher and Marcus Thompson on Tuesday morning. "He obviously knows how to play quarterback. The NFL is obviously different, but he's played in a lot of [college] games, so we'll see what he has to do. All Brock did was get into OTAs, and was fantastic. Preseason, he was dropping dimes. The last 14 weeks, he's been going against the No. 1 defense in the NFL, so he's obviously gotten better.
"But these last couple of weeks, honestly, it's awesome to watch. He's come in, he's been prepared, he's made big plays, he's made big throws, he's stood in the pocket under pressure, he's changed the plays at the line of scrimmage, and he's picking it up fast too. And then he goes into a hostile environment in Seattle, which is a very difficult place to win, and he plays really, really well. And he's continuing to play well."
Everyone is wondering how long the Purdy magic will last. The rookie's Pro Football Focus grade has steadily increased over the last three games, going from 61.4 in Week 13 to 70.3 in the 49ers' division-clinching win against the Seahawks. The 49ers might have a quarterback controversy brewing for 2023 if Purdy keeps up his surprising level of play.
Brock Purdy last three games on throws of 10+ yards downfield:
14-20, 312 yards 4 TD, 1 INT, 131. 3 passer rating.
He's not throwing downfield a lot, but when he does he's been very effective. #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) December 20, 2022
Said Kittle: "He [has] shown us that, 'Hey, this isn't a fluke. I know how to play quarterback. I know how to throw the ball to my guys. And I'm going to get the ball to my guys that make [yards after the catch], who gets first downs, who score touchdowns.' I think Brock's going to do nothing but continue to get better."
Purdy's leadership has impressed Kittle, especially for a 22-year-old with only a handful of NFL playing time on his resume. The young quarterback takes control of the huddle, often ensuring that his teammates are focused on the task at hand.
"Brock in the huddle is fantastic, the way he draws your attention," Kittle shared. "He's good at if he hears someone talking, 'Hey, hey, listen up, listen up, listen up.' He does a very good job of being in command of the huddle, and you've got to appreciate that because you can be in the huddle sometimes with a guy that might not be the most confident or who might let someone else talk over him, and that's not OK.
"It is your huddle. You're the person in charge. You're the only reason that anything is going to really happen in this play. We need you to get the ball and give it to someone else. So take command, tell us what you want to do, and let's get onto this play. And Brock has done a fantastic job of that."
Purdy looked in command last Thursday night, even while playing through oblique and rib injuries. He finished the game 17-of-26 for 217 passing yards and two touchdowns at a loud Lumen Field.
"What a guy. He's playing through a little injury thing," Kittle said. "He's playing through that, and you've just got to love it. And the fact that he's an Iowa State guy, it makes me love it even more. I absolutely love everything that Brock is going for right now, and I just think he's going to continue to get better the more opportunities that we give him."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Kittle below.
