San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has showcased elite-level performances this season. Nevertheless, some seem reluctant to give the second-year player the respect that many 49ers fans believe he deserves.
NFL Network reporter Omar Ruiz joined KNBR on Monday morning and was asked if he senses a reluctance among the media to categorize Purdy among the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
"Yeah, and I think as long as he has a loaded Forty-Niner team around him, it'll probably always be like that unless he wins a Super Bowl," Ruiz responded on the "Murph and Mac" show.
Ruiz drew parallels to former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's journey to being considered among the league's best. Initially, the team's outstanding defensive play overshadowed his efforts. That respect finally came once Wilson carried the Seahawks after the Legion of Boom disbanded.
"So I think Brock Purdy will probably have that," continued Ruiz. "I don't think he cares. I don't think the 49ers care whether he has that respect. But even with a Super Bowl title, it may not shed itself, maybe until he wins multiple Super Bowls."
Ruiz highlighted that some even questioned whether Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes could succeed without someone like wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Last season, he proved he could.
The reporter added, "And I think Purdy will probably be in that same boat until he has to kind of lift and elevate a team almost single-handedly."
49ers vs. Eagles rematch
Ruiz also discussed the upcoming matchup between the 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles, expressing his belief that the Eagles have yet to play their best football.
"Now, if you're the 49ers, you hope that they don't ever get to that status where everything's clicking for them offensively and defensively," Ruiz shared. "But this certainly, here in early December, is a team that I think the 49ers can go in there and beat them. I think the 49ers, at their highest level of the season, whether that was that Week 1 in Pittsburgh, whether it was [against] Dallas, whether it was in Seattle, most recently, I think the 49ers at their peak this season has been better than the Eagles at their peak.
Now, the Eagles, obviously, have been more consistent of the two teams in playing at a higher level, but I think all things equal, the 49ers are better. They've shown to be better at this point. But I do think there is another gear for the Eagles to get to. I'm not so sure if we haven't seen the 49ers at their highest gear. Can they bring that highest gear to the playoffs? If they do, I think they get to Las Vegas in Super Bowl 58."
However, if the Eagles reach their full potential, Ruiz believes they have a good chance of once again blocking the 49ers' path to the Super Bowl.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Ruiz below.
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