Alex Smith: Brock Purdy is not the problem for the 49ers

Some are eager to place the blame for the San Francisco 49ers' recent struggles on the shoulders of quarterback Brock Purdy. Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith considers that to be lazy analysis, pointing out that Purdy, the final overall pick in the 2022 draft, is unfairly scrutinized.

No one will argue that Purdy hasn't struggled at times during the 49ers' three-game losing streak. The second-year quarterback has thrown five interceptions during that span, compared to zero in San Francisco's first five games.

Of course, the team as a whole has struggled to play fundamentally sound football. No one inside the 49ers organization would disagree with that.

Smith labels the narrative of Purdy being the problem as "absolute nonsense," noting that the 49ers quarterback ranks second in the NFL in QBR.

"And more importantly, when you turn on the tape, this guy routinely makes ridiculous plays in the passing game look routine. Exactly that," Smith commented on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He does it week in and week out. There are multiple pass plays every single week that you look at that are like, 'Man, this guy's a six-year, seven-year veteran.' He's playing at that level."

While Purdy may look like a seasoned veteran, Smith believes the quarterback shouldn't be compared to players like Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts. Instead, he should be evaluated within the context of his own draft class. That would mean comparing him to players like Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis.

"He is not the problem," Smith declared. "They're going to get [WR] Deebo [Samuel] back. They're hopefully going to get [T] Trent Williams back. That's going to help. For me, there are far more question marks about this defense, but I still think they're going to get it figured out. They're too good.

"I love that they added [DE] Chase Young here to kind of solidify that defensive front. I think he's going to add to it. I think they're going to get it dialed in."