Drew Brees can reflect on his illustrious NFL career with pride. The former quarterback boasts several accomplishments, including a Super Bowl victory, seven seasons as the league's passing leader, the best completion percentage in a single season (74.4 in 2018), and 13 Pro Bowl selections.
Brees will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame selection when he becomes eligible for induction in 2026. The San Francisco 49ers likely hope quarterback Brock Purdy might follow a similar career trajectory.
Most people's comps on Purdy have likely changed since the 49ers made the quarterback the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Purdy initially found himself buried in the team's depth chart. However, circumstances changed when San Francisco lost two quarterbacks, thrusting the rookie into the starting role.
Fast forward to this season, fans have enjoyed watching Purdy consistently deliver MVP-like performances, raising the prospect of a Super Bowl victory in only his second NFL season.
49ers insider Matt Barrows was recently asked to whom he would compare Purdy and delivered an intriguing response.
"The comp I've been using, albeit with hesitation, for months is Drew Brees," Barrows wrote in his recent mailbag for The Athletic. "They are similar in size, arm strength and especially brain speed. Their special power is being able to see things and react to them more quickly than most quarterbacks."
Like Brees throughout his career, Purdy has been incredibly efficient. Along with a league-leading 70.2 completion percentage, the 49ers quarterback has thrown for 3,553 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through 13 starts. Additionally, he leads the NFL in yards per attempt (9.9), yards per completion (14.1), and passer rating (116.9).
Purdy is on pace to set a franchise record for the most passing yards in a single season, a remarkable achievement considering the iconic quarterbacks who have played for the organization.
Barrows continued, "Brees always was good with quick adjustments in the pocket that bought him more time. That's something we've been seeing from Purdy, especially in recent weeks. With every game, I grow a little more confident with that comp."
More and more, Purdy looks like the franchise quarterback Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have sought since they arrived in Santa Clara. And they have a couple more years until they have to worry about Purdy taking up a heftier percentage of the salary cap. The 49ers can't even start negotiating an extension until after next season.
Barrows notes, "The contract will have a lot of years on it and there will be a lot of zeros."
There is no doubt about that.