Kyle Juszczyk has heard all of the criticisms surrounding his quarterback. Speaking with former teammate, Richard Sherman, the San Francisco 49ers fullback shrugged them off with a smile, knowing that his quarterback isn't just along for the ride in a 5-0 season. Brock Purdy is one of the reasons—perhaps the driving force—why the 49ers remain unbeaten.
Purdy has yet to lose a regular-season game. He is 10-0 as a starter and is off to a fantastic start in his sophomore NFL year. Some might argue that it's an MVP-worthy start.
Purdy, 23, has completed 72.1 percent of his passes for 1,271 yards with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions through five games this season. Four of those touchdown passes came on Sunday night in a decisive 42-10 victory over the rival Dallas Cowboys.
"This guy is just so consistent, such a competitor," Juszczyk told Sherman on the former NFL cornerback's podcast. "Truly just a dog out there, man. He's just a gamer. He knows what it takes to win football games. He just knows how to play the position. And I think that's something that's so underrated. Like I always say, the biggest compliment you could ever give me is to say that I'm a football player, and Brock Purdy is a football player.
"He just has a knack out there. He's just done such a good job of leading this offense. He always steps in there with so much confidence, and it doesn't really seem to matter what's being said around him. He just goes out there, proves people wrong each week.
"But I don't even think that's his goal. He's not going out there like, Man, I'm going to show out so I can shut up all these people who say I'm not it. He just wants to win and he just wants to prove it to his teammates that he's our guy and that he can be counted on."
Even as a rookie last year, Purdy stepped into the 49ers huddle after taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and immediately took control of the offense, even shouting at his veteran teammates if they weren't paying attention.
Early on, much to the surprise of his teammates, Purdy made it clear that he was in command. That leadership and veteran-like savvy made him the clear choice for the starting quarterback job in 2023.
"I was like, 'All right, Brock,'" Juszczyk shared. "And he's still, to this day, he just knows how to command the huddle, and when he's talking, he's talking, and he's going to lead that ship."
Purdy and the 49ers seek to keep things rolling, hoping to win a franchise-record 16th consecutive regular-season game on Sunday. A stout Cleveland Browns defense stands in their way. With Purdy at the helm, Juszczyk knows that the 49ers' prospects for success are bright, not just for Sunday but for the remainder of the season.