The San Francisco 49ers enjoyed a strong conclusion to the 2022-2023 season following a sub-optimal start, as seventh-round pick Brock Purdy won the first seven starts to his career while leading the team to an NFC West banner and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, where a torn UCL effectively ended the quarterback's season, as he couldn't throw a football.
However, how much of the 49ers' end-of-season success can be attributed to Purdy, who threw for 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions with a 67.1% completion rate over his rookie season?
Well, an NFL coach recently made a bold claim about Purdy, sharing with The Athletic's Mike Sando that he believes the former seventh-round pick doesn't win many games as a starting quarterback if placed in a different NFL system.
"You put him on any other team and they lose more than half the games," the opposing offensive coach said. "They got the best rushing offense, they got the top defense, he doesn't make mistakes and he makes some plays with his legs, he gets the ball out. Good for him."
The 49ers' offense took off toward the second half of the season, averaging 33.5 points per game from Week 13 onwards, when Purdy took over in relief of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and saw his first significant action in the NFL.
However, San Francisco does sport a multitude of elite offensive weapons, which was only strengthened upon the arrival of running back Christian McCaffrey, who was arguably the team's best offensive player, despite playing in just half the games with the 49ers.
Is the NFL coach's statement justified or will Purdy prove doubters wrong as he returns from a torn UCL in his second NFL season?